Fuel to Fire
by ladykatyhawk
Summary: While Loki sinks deep into his madness, encouraged by the whispers of Thanos and his own traumatic memories, the Avengers have to decide what to do next as they learn just how broken he is. M for violence and torture. No slash. No romance. Plenty of angst and feels.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

Summary: While Loki sinks deep into his madness, encouraged by the whispers of Thanos and his own memories, the Avengers have to decide what to do next. As the people of Earth and Asgard make demands to secure the chaos god's punishment, none notices the growing shadow closing in on all of the realms.

No pairings. No slash. Angst. Hurt. Torture and selfharm or mentions of it.

AU ending of the Avengers. Possible mentions of Guardians of the Galaxy.

English is not my first language, sorry for any weird grammar errors and typos.

oOo

Chapter 1.

Thor stood silently, watching his brother on the surveillance screen in front of him. Loki hadn't done anything ever since they placed him in his cell – again. He just sat, staring into the nothing in front of him, his eyes blank and bright, his expression neutral. Thor knew that look. How often hadn't he seen it, how often hadn't he misinterpreted it. The insanity of his brother was nothing new, the thunder god had come to realize with great regret. It had been around for many, many years. Fuelled by Odin's and Asdgards favouritism of Thor. The only thing new was the mental break that had released the madness behind those cold, calculating bright green eyes. The calculating eyes of a genius.

The other Avengers and Nick Furry all watched Thor with a somewhat cautious distance. They hadn't voiced any objections when Thor had placed the muzzle on his brother and demanded that he'd been confined in isolation. "_He will face Asgardian justice._" the thunder god had told them.

They hadn't objected. Yet.

"So, care to elaborate?" Tony asked, stretching himself, never taking his eyes of Thor. The god turned, looking at the man behind the iron. "Elaborate what, friend Stark?" Tony waved his hand at the screen showing the god of mischief. "That. Your so called brother."  
Thor's face grew dark. "Loki is my brother, no matter how little trust is left between us."  
Tony sat up straight. "See, that! Right there. What the hell happened between you two?"

"What Tony means.." Natasha interrupted, folding her hands in front of her, looking Thor in the eyes ".. why did this happen? You seem to reach your hand to Loki again and again, with Loki biting it off again and again. If you were raised on Asgard, and live for as long as we are beginning to suspect – then why now? Why did he attack Earth?"

Thor looked uncomfortable, as he sat down at the table. The other Avengers and the few shield agents present waited for the god to elaborate.

"It's.. difficult for me to talk about lady Natasha. We live for many thousands of years, and yet it seems as if I've never really known my brother at all." he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"One year ago, when I was banished to Midgard.."

"You were what?" asked Clint, eyebrow croaked.

Thor blushed faintly, staring at the table in front of him. "Banished. By my father, Odin king. To learn me a lesson, one I was too blind to learn on my own."

"So he banished you to Earth? Why Earth?" asked Steve, looking questioningly at Thor.

"The people of Asgard has a lot of dealings with the other realms, save Midgard. I believe my father, by banishing me here, hoped I would learn values I was unable to learn in any other realm known to us."

The others remained quiet, mostly, for the rest of Thor's story. He explained in brief detail the events on Asgard, of Loki's attempt to destroy Jotunheim. And ultimately of his fall from the Bifrost.

Thor looked back to the screen, to look at his brother.

"We thought him dead. I had no idea a person could survive falling through dimensions and time.." Thor's voice trailed off and he cut himself off. "I should've looked for him. All of this is my fault."

"No Thor. This is Loki." Natasha interrupted, causing the god to look at her. Tony leaned forward, interrupting Natasha. "Point Break, if your father, the all knowing king of the entire universe, thought your crazy ass baby brother dead after that fall, why shouldn't you?" he reasoned.

Thor frowned. "Loki is perhaps a little unstable but.."  
"Unstable? He willingly let go of your My Little Pony bridge to commit suicide, not to mention he tried to conguer an entire PLANET and you think he's a little unstable? Lord, I need a drink."

"Enough!" Fury barked, shutting Tony up. Thor got up and began pacing back and fourth.

"I should take him to Asgard. To our parents. The Allfather will know what to do.. and the Allmother..." Thor stopped short, his head bowed.  
"You okay?" asked Bruce cautiously.

"I am well. Forgive me, but for this entire year we all believed Loki to be dead. And now I'm being given the opportunity to bring him home to our mother.."

"She'll know what he's done right?" asked Steve in sudden alarm.

"The Allmother knows all. She is blessed with foresight and will have have awaited my brothers return ever since he was unveiled from whatever magic that kept him hidden from Asgard's sight." Thor gave a weak smile.

"Until we know what we are dealing with, you are not taking your baby brother anywhere." Fury said, his voice cold. Thor turned to him, a challenge in his eyes.

"You want to keep us from our home?" he asked, the warning clear in his voice. The windows trembled slightly, and thunder could be heard in the distance.

"Hell no, I can't wait for you to get out of here. But somebody gave Loki that army, and I wanna know if they are planning any other tricks on Earth." Fury gave Thor a hard look.  
"You mean well, but your concept of time are a little different from ours. If you go back to Asgard, who knows when you'll be back. I wont risk that."

"So Loki are your hostage until then?"  
"Prisoner." Fury answered. "And you are our guest. We owe you a debt Thor, don't think we've forgotten about all you've done for us."

Thor looked uncertain, before bowing his head. "Very well. I will remain with Loki until you have to answers you seek."

* * *

Thor stepped into the cell area, with the door closing soundlessly behind him. Loki sat before him, on the floor, back to him. The thick glass wall kept them apart. Loki didn't even acknowledge him as Thor stepped forward.  
"Brother." Thor said in greeting, not expecting any reaction. He waited a second or so, sighing before continuing. "I have spoken with the Avengers and their leader Director Fury. It was our understanding that I were to return to Asgard with you once you were captured. Those plans, however, have now been altered." Still not getting a reply, Thor continued, his voice sad. "You are to remain here, in the custody of the humans. They want to know what drove you to Midgard and to your actions against them.." At that, Loki turned his head and Thor cut himself off when faced with his younger brothers bright, hateful eyes. He'd forgotten about the muzzle. Thor gave a brief look at the camera, before opening the cell door. Loki was chained to the floor in the center of the cell, with chains crafted by the smiths of Asgard. They would hold his magic and with little room to move, it would be safe enough. Loki looked ahead when Thor approached him. Not getting his attention, Thor kneeled down, gently removing the muzzle from his brothers mouth. But even with the muzzle gone, Loki didn't reply.

"I won't let any harm come to you brother. But you will be punished by father when we return to Asgard. That I cannot hinder. You've tried to conquer a planet under Asgards protection. You've betrayed my trust, and that of mothers. There is little trust between us now, brother, and while I won't do you any harm now, I cannot promise the same thing should you ever attempt something like this again. But, until we are returned to Asgard, I will look after you, as I've always done."

Thor did notice how pale his brother was, and how his dark hair seemed to cling to his face and neck. He looked ill. Thor frowned and reached forward. Before he could reach Loki however the other slapped his hand away. The angry snarl on Loki's face caused Thor to stop.  
"I don't want your pity, Odinson. I want you out of my sight! I want you dead!" Loki hissed, looking up. His green eyes gleamed in the translucent light.

Thor sighed, and stood up. Loki quickly followed, stepping forward only to be stopped by the chains. Loki looked like he was about to say something, before growling, tucking one time angrily at the bonds keeping him, before turning around.

"Be well brother. I will be back." Thor said soberly, before exiting the cell and closing the door behind him, leaving Loki, alone under the unnatural light.

The only thing to be heard in the cell was his own hollow breathing. Or was it. Loki looked around, feeling the eyes of others on him. Or maybe it was just his imagination.

He laughed, struggling against his bind. The magic chains. Odins handiwork no doubt.

The thought of the Allfather lit the fire in his eyes anew. He pulled the chains. When they didn't bulged, he pulled harder, furiously. _How dared they bind him like an animal! He was a god! _

He struggled with the chains until he could feel the skin of his wrist break, blood smearing the shackles and dripping on the floor. He felt the anger stroke his mind, cloud his thoughts. The hot boiling anger in him seemed to play tricks on his eyes.

He blinked. His blood was blue.

He stopped fighting immediately. Sweat was glistening on his temple, the salt stinging in the cuts around his wrist. He sank to his knees, shaking as he brought the bloodied hands to his eyes.

The blood liquid shined in the electric light. Loki swallowed. He was sure it had been blue.

Loki kneeled silently in the middle of the room. The whispers surrounded him, demanding his attention. Demanding his freedom. He ignored them. Freedom could wait. Freedom was an illusion. He stared blankly at the floor, unmoving. His bright eyes shone with a fever like daze, and he could see his hands shake even though he couldn't feel them. The blood – blue or red, he couldn't tell, continued to drip slowly on the floor. The bulding pressure in his mind though.. that he could feel.

_'You think you know pain'_

He did know pain. He, who had been lied to his entire life. He, who had fell through space and time. He, who had seen and done unspeakable things. He, who had been broken..

'_You know nothing.'_

__He had fallen through the void for months, years. He, who had been king and Prince of Asgard.

'_Yet.'_

He could hear the whispers around him. Or was it his own voice? Did he have a voice? Feel them stroke his cheek and his thoughts, gentle like a lovers touch and terrible like the blade of a knife. Loki listened to them. Welcomed them. He could feel the broken whispers working around his broken mind and heart, forcing the pieces further and further apart. He felt his lips form a smile. Or was he crying?

The voice yelled at him and he flinched, bowing down in submission. Loki remained on his knees, head bowed, for several minutes before the pain from his wrist began to overcome the pressure in his mind. He gave a inaudible sigh of relief. He was alone again.

* * *

"What's he doing?" asked Steve with a frown. They'd all watched the camera feed when Thor went to inform his brother of the change of plans. They overheard Thor's attempt to talk with Loki, the promise of punishment, only to wince when the trickster snarled and attempted to attack Thor.

"Thank God for magic chains from the Heaven." Tony mumbled in relief.

When Thor left they thought Loki would sink back into his submissive state. Therefore, when he continued to fight the chains after Thor had disappeared, the Avengers became unsettle. The continued struggle against his bonds, the hated expression on his face. The audio feed was little more than angry mumbles. They heard the word _animal_ and _god_, both spoken with the same loathing Loki had used when he addressed Thor.

When Thor reentered the council room, he looked troubled. "Is he doing anything?" he asked, walking over and watching the screen from behind Steve's back. The captain looked at the thunder god. "He continued to trash around after you left. Not much else."

They watched in silence as Loki fought his bonds. When the blood started dripping onto the floor, Bruce looked away. Clint eyed Thor. "He's not insane enough to try and cut of his hands, are he?" the archers voice suggested he wouldn't put it pass the asgardian.  
Thor shook his head. "He need his hands to perform his magic. They are more important than his voice, which is why I felt safe enough to remove the muzzle."

"Guys.." Natasha said, drawing their attention back to the screen. Loki had stopped struggling against his bonds. Instead he was staring at his hands, eyes wide and chock written all over his features.

He sank to his knees, and they could faintly hear his voice. "_Nej_.." he whispered, his voice having a slightly panicked note as he studied his hands in the artificial light. He brought his blood soaked hand to his eyes, his hands shaking violently. The Avengers shared a look. Fury seemed unimpressed by the whole situation, but Thor looked deeply trouble.

"Perhaps I should go to him.." he started, only to cut himself off when Loki snapped his head around, as if trying to locate somebody or something in the cell. But he was alone. The chaos god looked directly in the camera, his eyes glazed and unfocused. He snapped his head back, starring ahead. They could see his lips move, but no sound was heard. Loki remained on his knees, completely still. The blood continued to drip from his injured wrists. He slightly moved his head, as if to distance himself from something.

"_Ég kender smärta.. èg falt gjemmen tid og rum.. du vet intet._" the words were softly spoken, and meant nothing to the Avengers who all looked at Thor who had gone deathly pale.

"What's he saying?" asked Tony.

"He speaks our native tongue.." Thor answered, but didn't elaborate further when Loki suddenly winced and bowed down, his dark hair hiding his face. When several minutes had passed without Loki moving or speaking, the Avengers looked at Thor. The thunder god had begun pacing again, a hand in his hair and worry in his eyes.

"Thor, what did Loki say?" asked Steve, repeating Tony's question. Thor stopped, looking at the still image of his brother.

"He said 'I know pain. I fell though time and space.. You know nothing.'"

Nobody said anything at this revelation. "Sounds like he's completely lost it." Tony supplied when the silence became a little too much. Fury huffed.  
"As interesting as this is, the nucase have calmed down for the time being, but I am not letting him stay here. Last time he nearly caused this helicarrier to fall out of the sky. He's doing down to earth so he can't manipulated anyone into crashing this thing." Fury looked at the team in front of him.

"Where ever Loki goes, I follow." Thor said, the power returning to his voice.  
"I expected as much. We don't exactly have any cells that can contain a magical freakshow from another planet so we have to come up with something." Fury looked at Tony. "But I bet you'll want to take up the challenge to build something for him?"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Ehm, no? I'm getting dinner with these guys and then I'm clocking out."

"No. This isn't done yet Stark." Fury smirked. "It is Thursday - " at this Thor raised a surprised evebrow and looked at the others "and it's between 8-15. I'm consulting you. Now, where should we put a magical terrorist from outer space?"

Tony frowned. "You know, I dislike having my hospitality used against me." he informed the director, before looking at Thor. "Those chains, they will hold him correct?"

Thor nodded. "As long as what they are bound to are strong enough, he won't be able to pull free unless I release him."

Tony clapped his hands, standing up. "Great. I have a spare room – in fact several - you stay in it with him." Tony looked at Fury who wore an unimpressed look. "Satisfied?"

"Not really. You plan on bringing Loki to your own tower?"

"Why not? Granted, he kinda destroyed my living room – I'm sending your father the bill Point Break – but if those chains can keep him in place, I don't see why not. That'll keep him off the streets and out of your hair. Romanoff can swing by and interrogate him whenever she wants. My tower are as secure as it gets. Jarvis can keep an eye on him all the time." Tony smirked. "Bruce's coming to stay with me too. He can green up if we need Loki to remember who's in charge."  
Bruce shook his head but didn't object.

"Not to mention you get to learn about his asgardian magic and space travel." Clint shot in, giving Tony an unimpressed glare. The billionaire grinned. "Oh yeah. That hadn't crossed my mind. At all."

"What of the Tesseract and the staff?" asked Steve. "They shouldn't be kept under the same roof as Loki."

"Agreed. You can keep those Fury – that should keep your council happy." Tony reasoned.

Thor stepped in. "I will bring both the Tesseract and Loki's sceptre with me when I return to Asgard. They are not of Midgard and are too dangerous to remain here now that the rest of the Universe has it's eye on you."  
Fury glared at them. "Fine. The sceptre and the Tesseract are under S.H.I.E.L.D.S. control and Thor and the rest of the Avengers, you make sure Loki doesn't leave this planet until we know just what we are dealing with."

Tony clapped his hands. "Excellent! Now, shawarma?"

* * *

**_Updates will be irregular. _**

_My first Avengers fic. I am terrified of writing this, most due to the amount characters and because of Loki's complicated personality._

_Nej means no in danish/swedish. The norwegian/icelandic word is nei. Pronounced the same way._

_Yes, I am arrogant enough to pretend that Danish (my native language) are the spoken native language of the asgardians – let's call it Aser (the danish word for æsir). I'm not planning on using it a lot, mainly when Loki or Thor want's to have a private conversation. And, I'll be mixing in a bit of Swedish, Norwegian and Icelandic just for the hell of it – our languages are similar and I'm not arrogant enough to exclude them from our shared history._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:  
I own nothing; all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

Chapter 2

Tony Stark was a genius. One of the most brilliant minds on the planet Earth. (He used to think/believe he was one of the most brilliant in the universe, but that dream was pretty much out the window thanks to gods and alien armies and what not.) A visionary. A bright beacon for humanity. He made the choices nobody else dared to make. He created what none had dared to before.  
However, he was prone to spontaneous decisions. Actually, he generally acted before thinking anything through. Normally, Pepper would keep him in check, but she hadn't been aboard the helicarrier when Tony made his newest rash decision.

'_What the hell was I thinking_?' the billionaire pondered as he watched Thor getting Loki ready to leave the ship. He was equally intrigued and disgusted by the alien maniac, but as always the scientific part of his brain had the final say. He internally groaned. God, he needed Pepper to balance that default setting out. He grimaced at the thought of his girlfriend. She had yelled at him for five minutes straight when he – being quite the considerate boyfriend if he should say so himself – had called her to break the news that they were going to play hosts to two alien gods, one of which had only a week earlier tried to take over the planet and tried several times to kill Tony himself. And said alien had all but destroyed his – their - living room (He was so gonna keep that god-sized hole in the floor).

Tony watched as Thor unfastened Loki's chains from the floor and bound them to himself, making it impossible for Reindeer Games to escape without dragging his big brother with him.

The muzzle was back in place, Tony noticed. Loki hadn't said anything since they'd seen him freak out, except cursing at Thor when he muzzled his younger brother again for security reasons. When Loki had learned just where he was going to be kept captive until his return to Asgard, he'd turned absolutely venomous, more resembling a snake than an alien/human/god/whatever. With his arms bound, the god used his words to lash out instead with such creativity that Tony, torn between horror and amusement, had wondered why they didn't just ignored Fury's orders and send the nutjob back to Asgard with the first available space train.  
Thor's face had remained impassive during his brothers ramblings, and Tony felt a tiny bit of respect and pity for Thor being able to handle that kind of abuse being thrown his way.  
Sadly, that most likely meant that he was used to it.

Thor straightened his back, giving a careful tug at the chain binding him to Loki.  
It threw Loki off balance, causing him to stumble forward. Loki glared, but when nothing else happened – and Tony somehow doubted Loki would've permitted Thor to manhandle him like that if he'd been able to escape or use that foul mouth of his – Thor turned to Tony. He nodded. "We are ready to depart, friend Stark."

"Awesome," Tony cheered. "We fly in two teams: you, Natasha and Bruce with Loki. Steve, Clint and I take the Quinjet." Tony winked at the giant blond. "We figured Bruce and Natasha were the best qualified to keep your brother in place, beside you, of course. Clint's still a bit, ah, tipsy?"  
Thor gave the billionaire a searching look.

"Are you regretting your offer?" the god asked carefully.

Tony shrugged. "Perhaps." he said honestly. "But I also regretted making the suit on several occasions, and so far I've been wrong about that."

Thor looked uncertainly at the human in front of him. Tony sighed, folding his arms in front of him. "Look, big guy. We all have our own personal reasons to hate Loki -" Tony met the eyes of the trickster as he spoke, not backing down from the challenge he saw in there. The humour. The sadistic pleasure of causing chaos and ill ease around him. "- but to be honest, I wouldn't feel good about him being left with S.H.I.E.L.D.. Fury is one thing, but the rest of them? I'm not so sure what they are."

Thor nodded in acknowledgement, thanks in his eyes. "I thank you, my friend. You do me great honour."

Tony waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah. Wait with the thank yous until you've passed Pepper's screening."  
They started walking towards the main deck, the chains rattling as they moved.

"Will your lady be mad?" Thor asked somewhat cautiously.  
"Oh, she's beyond pissed. But she'll come around. She tends to get mad when she thinks I'm trying to kill myself. And speaking of dying, we better get going before Fury throws us off."

* * *

The doctor looked nervous, Tony observed when they arrived at the jet.  
"Don't worry, Bruce! If dearie over there tries anything, just get a teeny, tiny bit mad, perhaps even the green kind, and then you'll see just how compliant he can be." For some reason that didn't seem to calm the doctor down.  
Thor looked nervous, too. He kept a tight grip on the chain and didn't take his eyes of his brother.  
Tony smirked. Boy was he glad he got half an hour break from _that_. Even if stick-up Rogers were on board his plane.  
"See you later, fellas. Try not to crash or hit the news stations, would you?" Tony shut the door before Thor could ask him what he meant. The god looked at Bruce, who gave a small smile and shook his head. "Not important, just Tony being an ass."

Tony, Steve and Clint were the first ones to arrive at Stark Tower – "Guys, is it just me or is the single A starting to look, like, really good?" – and Clint landed the jet with ease on top of the building.  
Tony exited just as Pepper appeared on the roof, her face a stony mask. Tony started to speak, only to stop when she raised her hand.

"Don't. I'm still mad, and I'll continue to be mad until I let you know otherwise." Tony shut his mouth, biting back his response when Pepper turned her attention to Clint and Captain Capsicle.

She smiled at them both. "Welcome to Stark Tower. I'm Pepper Potts, Tony's girlfriend and in general the person who puts out the fires around here."

Clint and Steve both shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Potts. I'm Steve Rogers." Steve introduced himself. Clint merely smiled.

"Please, just Pepper will do." she turned her attention back to Tony. "Still mad." She said when he opened his mouth again. He shut it with a sigh. Clint and Steve shared an amused look.

"The workers left yesterday. The windows have been repaired, and most of the interior damage has been cleaned up. The only thing …" Pepper informed her boyfriend, looking at the papers in her arms.

"You didn't fix the hole in the floor, did you?!" Tony interrupted her, already running for the door.

"No!" Pepper yelled after him, shaking her head. "Honestly." She looked at Steve.

"When will the rest arrive?"

Clint looked at his clock. "A few minutes perhaps."

Pepper sighed. "I'm not happy about this," she informed them, should there be any doubt.

"Neither are we, Ms. Potts. If it were up to me, that lunatic would have already been deported back to his own world," Clint responded quietly. Pepper looked at Steve, who shook his head. She didn't pursue it. Pepper sighed.

"There's no helping it. Once Tony makes up his mind about something, little can be done to change it.."

"PEPPER!" Tony's voice drifted up from the stars. She gave them a brief smile, before following her departed boyfriend, leaving the two Avengers to await the arrival of their prisoner and the rest of the team.

* * *

Tony looked up when Pepper entered the room. He threw out his hands dramatically at the sight in front of him.

"What did I say about the hole in the floor!" he whined, pointing at the bashed up floor. She merely raised an eyebrow, walking up to him.

"It's still there," she informed him.

"But you've cleaned it! Or ..." he looked at her, frozen in unspoken horror. "Did you allow _people_ in here – working people?!"

"What? You expected I would repair the windows and the bullet holes myself, not to mention remove the giant boulders that fell from the ceiling?" she replied dryly. When he merely looked at her, eyes wide in mock hurt, she sighed.

"You're an idiot."

"That's not what we're discussing!" he lamented. He pointed at the floor, to make sure she understood just what she'd done. To his frustration, Pepper looked deeply unimpressed.

"That hole was created, when Hulk smashed Loki. _Repeatedly_. It's one of a kind, and you cleaned it! Now it's just a hole …"

"You said 'leave the hole in the floor', so I left it …"

"... Without any body marks, without any display of just what was slammed down. Now all I have is a hole in my living room floor!"

"Do you even know where you are going with this argument?"

"No, but I feel like shouting for a bit because I've invited a psychotic alien terrorist to come live with us, and I need to be mad about it before Thor gets here!" Tony yelled in frustration, turning around, aiming straight for the bar with hasty steps.  
Pepper didn't say anything when he poured himself a large whiskey, and drained it in one go. When he poured another, she stepped up beside him.

"Tony. If you regret your decision, just let Fury know. He'll make other arrangements," she said softly

Tony looked at the drink in his hand, swirling it around before sighing. He then raised it to his lips.

"I can't do that to Thor," Tony replied, sipping at the golden liquid. He put the glass down, turning toward his girlfriend.

"You haven't met Loki, Pepper. The guy is shouting abuse at the big guy all the time. I don't think I've ever heard them talk with Loki insulting Thor in three different ways. Not to mention the fact he's bat-shit insane!"

"But why here, Tony? Why our home?" she asked quietly, taking his hand in hers.

"It was a rash decision. Sorry."  
She didn't reply right away. But she did give him a careful smile.

"It can't be helped, now. We'll make it work. I've had Jarvis prepare the room for Thor. It's not exactly a prison cell, but it's two rooms – one for Thor and one for Loki. There's no window in Loki's room, for security reasons. Thor's room is connected to it with a door. I had the workmen" – at this Tony's eyebrow twitched – "seal off the door to the hallway, so you are only able to reach it by going through Thor's quarters."

Tony kissed her hand, and she smiled wider.

* * *

The two of them remained in the living room until they heard the arrival of the other jet on the roof. A few minutes later the rest of the Avengers walked in, and Pepper got her first look at the villain who'd tried to take over the planet and had destroyed most of downtown Manhattan in the process.

The muzzle surprised her, but then she remembered what Tony had told her a few minutes ago about the venomous tongue of the black-haired Asgardian. Loki himself looked down, never meeting her eyes as he walked beside Thor, but she caught his eyes resting a second on the hole in the middle of the room before quickly averting his gaze back to the ground in front of him. Behind Loki, the archer Clint did, too. He smirked, while Dr. Banner looked embarrassed.

"I thought you'd repaired that." he mumbled, looking at Tony. The genius grinned.

"No way. It's a one-of-a-kind landmark. Until I get a new god-punched-through-floor hole, I'm keeping that one."

Thor stepped forward, dragging his none resisting brother with him. Loki simply followed, no fight left in him it seemed. "Where are our quarters, friend Stark? I wish to unbind Loki from the muzzle." Pepper stepped forward.

"Follow me, Thor. I'll show you to them ..." she said, leading the god and his prisoner down the stairs.

* * *

Pepper escorted Thor to the room she'd had Jarvis prepare for him and Loki.

"I hope it meets your needs, Thor," she said, voice slightly apologetic as she opened the door. She hadn't exactly any experience in creating lodgings for gods. Thor entered the room –his room – and then proceeded to the one that would serve as Loki's cell.

"I was unsure if you wanted a solid door or glass," Pepper said, a little uncertain.

"A solid door is suitable, Lady Pepper. It'll grant my brother some privacy," Thor said, guiding Loki into the room. Thor unchained himself from the shackles binding him to Loki before removing the muzzle. Loki didn't look up while Thor worked with the magic iron. When Thor did finally step back, Loki allowed himself to sink down onto the bed, his eyes still focused on the floor.

"What's wrong with him?" Pepper asked before she could stop herself. Loki looked ill and nothing like the madman she'd seen on TV.  
Thor didn't answer. He secured the chains to the floor, allowing Loki room to lie down or walk a few meters back and forth, before leading Pepper out, closing the door and locking it.

"I do not know, Lady Pepper," he then said softly.

The two of them returned to the hallway. "Jarvis?" Pepper said.  
"_At your service, Ms. Potts,_" the voice of the AI sounded from the ceiling. Thor looked up, surprised.

"Who is speaking?"

"That's Jarvis," Pepper explained. "He's sort of the butler of the tower. It's an artificial intelligence Tony created years ago." From the stack of papers in her hand, she withdrew a tablet, handing it to Thor, who took it curiously.

"Jarvis will be monitoring Loki at all times, making sure he doesn't escape or harm himself. Through this" – Pepper dabbed an icon on the screen, transforming it into a live feed showing Loki still resting unmoving on the bed – "you'll be able to keep an eye on him without sitting by him all the time. It also makes it possible for the others to look out for him should you be indisposed."

Thor looked at the screen and then at Pepper. "I thank you, Lady Pepper. Thank you for your kindness. I know how odd this must feel for you …" Pepper shook her head, smiling at the god.

"You probably saved Tony's life by coming to Earth. This is a part of my repaying that debt to you. Think nothing of it."  
Thor nodded in respect before heading down the hall, still staring at the tablet in his hands.

"Jarvis, are you still there?"

"_Always._"  
"Keep an eye on Loki's vital functions, as well. Alert us to any change in his behaviour."  
"_Will do, Ms. Potts._"

* * *

Loki remained still, even a long time after the human and Thor had left him in his "cell." When he actually did look around, taking in his new surroundings, he was unimpressed. The walls were grey. No window or any source of natural light. Everything that could've be deemed luxury had been removed. The bed remained, as did a small chair and an even smaller room, which, upon inspection, turned out to be the restroom. Equally dull. Though, there was a mirror. Loki frowned, stepping closer and studying his reflection. The too bright, white, human light made his skin shine with a sickly pale colour. His black hair looked dull, as if covered by dust. He stared at himself for a moment, when the uneasy feeling of being watched washed back over him.  
He removed his jacket, carefully arranging it over the glass surface, hiding his reflection, before exiting the small room again, the chains rattling as he walked. Loki returned quietly to the bed and sank down. With nothing to occupy himself, he had little choice but to rest. Or try. He lied down and closed his eyes, briefly noticing the faint glimmer from an object in the celling, like a star. When he noticed it, the light went out, leaving him in complete and utter darkness. But rest did not come to him.

He was being watched. He could feel the slight brush of a foreign _yet familiar _presence on his thoughts, guiding him to places he did not want to dwell on.

_You cast me into an abyss!_ The feeling of falling. Of betrayal. Hurt._  
So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights?_His fault, always his fault.

Imagined. Did he imagine the Void? Was it even possible to imagine that kind of nothing, the feeling of floating between the layers of the universe? The crushing pressure, the _cold _...  
Hate boiled up inside him, and Loki sat up, leaning against the wall as his heart pounded in his chest as if it tried to escape.

How long he sat like that he didn't know. Maybe minutes, maybe hours.

He hadn't imagined it – he couldn't have – and yet again Thor is desperate to prove that the fault did not lie with the thunder god but with his wayward younger brother.  
Loki started to shiver with repressed emotions as small images from his childhood and youth with Thor started passing before his eyes. How innocent, but now he saw. The disapproving stares, the sniggers, the _pity_. With an angry growl he snapped around, punching his fist into the wall. The wall didn't budge, but it did break his skin, exposing the white bone beneath. Again and again he punched the wall, not even noticing the pain as the bones in his hand gave away and blood smeared the grey wall, his tears, the laughter or the panicked shout as the door was forced open. All he saw was a black nothingness, pulling him down, while millions of hands reached out for him, tearing him apart and putting him back together. In the void, silence was everywhere. Except the laughter. The bone chilling laughter that made him realize he should've killed himself when he'd had the chance. Again and again Loki punched the wall, trying to hide the laughter behind the pain. He screamed in anger when strong arms was wrapped around his chest, pulling him away from the wall. He tried to force himself free, but his destroyed hand couldn't even move and all he did was to cover his assailant's arms in blood and pieces of bone. The pressure in his mind rose to agonizing heights. He stopped fighting and he knew no more as the Void claimed him.

* * *

_Thank you so much for the overwhelming feedback; it's very much appreciated! I hadn't thought I would write another chapter too soon, but your lovely reviews motivated me. Thank you! I guess that means chapters are still irregular – but in a good way. Just don't get used to it.  
As for the story, I'm still plotting it out. I'm not thinking far ahead, as these things tend to evolve all on their own in my experience._

_Also, the story now has a beta! The kind and lovely W__esternfemme has offered to check each chapter for my weird grammar mistakes. She's a star, and if you feel like it, you should PM her and tell her so :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:  
I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

Chapter 3

_Earlier that evening_

"What, exactly, is the Void?"

It was getting late. Hours had passed since Thor had locked Loki in his cell, and he and Pepper had returned to the others. They all sat in Tony's living room, eating, drinking and talking. The atmosphere was relaxed. Thor felt comfortable, despite the situation. It almost felt like back at Asgard, when they'd returned from a battle or a hunt. Telling stories. Reminiscing.

Thor looked at Natasha, who'd voiced the question. She sat between lady Pepper and Barton, her face curious. Thor thought for a moment before he explained.  
"The Void is a gash between the worlds, in the layers of the universe. It is a place of nothing, only pressure and utter darkness. The Void is always around us, hidden behind the walls of reality. There exists only few devices throughout the universe that possesses the power to rip reality apart. But they are few and well guarded."

Natasha nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.  
"You rainbow bridge is one of those artifacts, correct?" asked Bruce, setting down his coffee cup.  
Thor nodded in agreement. "The Bifrost is many thousands years old. It was created before the time of my grandfather, King Bor. It is the strongest of the space and time artifacts, thus why it is located on Asgard."

Tony snorted. "Yeah, too bad you aren't picky with how you allow to use it."

Thor glared at him. "The Bifrost is no toy, and no asgardian treats it as such!"

"You just explained to us ten minutes ago how Loki used it to try and destroy that cold-Joyo-town-what-ever-name!"

"Jötunheimr." Thor repeated with an amused chuckle. "And Loki was well in his right to use it, although for terrible reasons. He was king, and as king of Asgard he commanded the Universe, for however a short period of time."  
Tony spit out his scotch and Clint dropped his beer. "Did you just say that Loki was king of Asgard?"

Thor nodded again, a air of sadness around him. "While I was banished, and the Allfather was under the Odinsleep, my mother made Loki king. It was his birthright to take the throne."

"I thought you said he was adopted?"

"He is. Loki is a jotun, taken in by my parents millennia ago. But that makes no difference. He is a son of Odin and Frigga, and will always be even how much he denies it." Thor explained sadly.

"His title does not protect him from his actions here, just as mine doesn't excuse my faults. While I do not know what the Allfather will do to punish him, rest assured that Loki will face judgement once we return to Asgard."

"Do make sure." Clint remarked dryly.

"I have recordings of everything, in case you need it." Tony informed. Thor gave the man of iron a nod of thanks. "I appreciate your offer, but the Allfather already knows of everything that has transpired here on Midgard. That's how he was able to send me here, to stop Loki's schemes. Not only would the all seeing eyes of the Allmother have told him, I've also seen Hugin and Munin several times already. They've reported everything. There is no lack of evidence for Loki's evil deeds."

"Who's Hugin and Munin? Do you have alien spies on Earth?" asked Pepper interested.

"They are the Allfathers eyes in all of the realms. They are Thought and Memory, and reports back to my father of all that is happening throughout the universe. They have the shape of two large, black ravens." Thor explained.

"Hold up dude." said Clint, raising a hand. "Are you telling us, that ravens exists in every world in the universe? How is that even possible, biologically?"  
Thor raised an amused eyebrow. "Why, the ravens, just as cats and goats, are of asgardian origins. In the early times of the universe, they were brought to the other worlds by asgardian travellers and warriors." The others stared at Thor with a blank, disbelieving expression. The god snorted at their confusion.

"Cat's are aliens?" Pepper asked slowly, while Tony muttered "Knew it."

"I wouldn't say that. The cat's of Earth have been here for such a long time, that they are true Earthlings. The cats of Asgard are much bigger, big enough for a man to ride or to pull a carriage."

"So, you don't have dogs?" asked Bruce. Thor shook his head. "No, but we do have wolves. They are very dangerous and are in general left alone. Odin has two wolves, who scouts Asgard for him . They are Geri and Freki. In older times, when Asgard were at war, they would accompany my Father on the battlefield. It's been millennia since they have left Asgard."

The humans all shared a look, as if to make sure Thor wasn't pulling one on them. Thor returned to his coffee, oblivious to the confusion of those around him.

"Space cats." Clint shook his head. "This is a load of.."

"Clint!" Natasha interrupted him. The archer shrugged, not looking overly concerned.

"Just a word of advice, Thor – don't go around telling humans that cat's and goats are asgardian animals. Somehow I don't think it will be very well received." Bruce said to the god, who nodded.

"I am aware that your planet hasn't had many dealings with other worlds. I can assure you, this is common knowledge in most of the known universe."

"And now he's calling us ignorant! That's it, I need a refill! Tony got up, reaching for the scotch bottle on the table.

"_Sir, if I may interrupt?"  
_

"Not now Jarvis, I already told – no monitoring my booze intake when I'm in company!" Tony informed the AI as he started pouring himself a drink.

_"I am very sure you know your limits sir, but that isn't why I'm interrupting."  
_

"Oh? Fury on the line? Tell him to butt off, there's two weeks until next consultation."

_"It's about your prisoner. Ms. Potts asked me to alarm her should there be any changes in his condition." _

At this, all of the Avengers got up, while Thor grabbed the seemingly forgotten tablet. The screen was black.

"Where's the moving image!" the god exploded, staring at the celling as if to locate the unseen voice.

"_The light is out, mr. Odinson and I can't seem to get them back on. I do advise you to go to the room immediately. Your brother seems to be most disstressed._" Thor was already running out of the room, the Avengers hot on his heels.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Clint yelled from the rear, as they ran for the room, expecting anything.

"Not the right time, cupid!" Tony shot back, as Thor threw open the door – ripping it off in the process - to the room appointed to him by Pepper, heading straight for the door to Loki's cell. He could faintly hear the screams from the other side, mixed with a maniacal laughter that chilled him to his core. Thor grabbed the doorknob, but was stopped by Tony. Thor shot him a furious stare. "Do NOT keep me from my brother friend Stark!"

"Easy!" Tony bit back "Jarvis, what the status? What are we dealing with?"

"_The prisoner appears to have some sort of breakdown. His heart rate are alarmingly high and it appears that he is trying to punch his way through the Stark reinforced concrete."  
_

Tony made a face. "That can't be good." he said gravely, and let go of Thor's arm. The others stood back, armed and ready when Thor threw open the door and the light from the room illuminated the cell.

The sight made some of them gag, Pepper turned her back, covering her ears. Blood was splattered across the wall. Loki had his back to them. He was screaming while he continued to punch the wall in front of him_. _A sick, dull sound could be when his fist slammed into the wall, again and again, creating cracks and dents, blood splashing with every hit. Loki didn't turn when the door opened, he appeared not to have noticed Thor or the others. Thor quickly entered the room, putting his arms around his brother, trying to make him stop.

"Loki, cease this madness!" he pleaded desperately. But Loki was beyond words, beyond hearing. Thor was sure his brother could not hear anything he said. He was mad, beyond reason. He hissed and screamed like an animal. He tried to pull back, but instead Loki started fighting him. Still screaming. Loki bit his arm, tried to pull free only to smear his blood across Thors arms when his destroyed hand failed to get any grip on his captors arm.

Thor could with a sick feeling in his stomach feel the splinters of crushed bone scrape against his skin. He pulled Loki back, towards the light. Loki threw back his head, staring at Thor for a second. His face was distorted in pain and rage, but for a second he looked at Thor. Then a look of horror washed over his face, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Thor nearly stumbled when the fighting suddenly stopped. The others gave the god room as he gently put the now unconscious Loki down on the floor.

"Holy hell." breathed Clint. Loki's hand was all but destroyed. His fingers were distorted into an unrecognisable state. It was just a bloody thing at the end of his arm. Blood had splattered all across his face, and sweat ran down his forehead. His eyes were open, but unseeing. His face was locked in the terrified expression, as if he was seeing horrors beyond Earth. Gently, Thor lifted the damaged hand to inspect the damage. The fingers were broken, the bones fractured. Blood was everywhere.

"Brother, what have you done!"

* * *

They transferred Loki to another room. Bruce wanted to amputate the hand, saying it was damaged beyond repair. Thor refused to let him. So instead all they could were to stabilize the god until he woke up.  
Thor sat beside Loki at all time, never leaving - "This is my fault. I should never have left him!".  
The others didn't argue with the thunder God, recognising a lost cause when they saw one. Instead they attempted to get some clues from the destroyed cell - "Why does the guy HAVE to leave holes everywhere in my goddamn tower! It destroys the integrity of the Hulk Smash hole!" - but not getting far. Jarvis had nothing but the audio recording, saying something blocked his cameras. So while Tony disappeared into the workshop to give the AI an update, Clint and Natasha went back to the room.

When Loki woke, he refused to talk. He only stared at the wall, wincing in pain when he accidentally moved his destroyed hand.  
"The doctor can not heal it, Loki." Thor informed his brother after an hour of an erie silence. "You'll have to go to Asgard. Mother can heal it."

"Why is it even broken?"

Thor blinked at the unexpected question. Loki stared at him, anger in his eyes. "Who broke my hand?"

"What do you mean brother?" asked Thor, throughly confused. "You broke it yourself. Against the wall of your cell. You smashed it against the rock until your fingers were all but destroyed. You were screaming."  
Loki gave him a blank look that would've been comical hadn't the situation been so serious.

"Don't be obscene you idiot. I need my hands, why would I break it?!" he sneered, attempting to sit up. Thor didn't move. After trying and failing to raise himself, Loki let himself fall back onto the bed, his green eyes narrow in frustration. "Unbind me." he said, his voice demanding.  
Thor raised a eyebrow. "From your chains? I think not, brother. You are not allowed to use you magic."

"I'm not allowed to leave this forsaken excuse of a realm and go to Asgard where somebody _maybe_ would be able to heal my hand. I can mend it myself, just remove the chains."

Thor gave Loki a thoughtful look. "I will talk with the other Avengers first, Loki. You being chained and your magic restricted is a part of the deal, and I can't just ignore that. You put yourself in this, you'll have to stomach the pain until we have come up with a solution." Thor looked at the celling.

"Voice, will you ask the others of the Team to meet up in my brothers chambers?"

"_Certainly mr. Odinson." _Jarvis replied smoothly.  
Loki bristled when Thor directed his attention back to him. "Why are you calling them? They are the reason my hand is destroyed in the first place!" he bit out hatefully.  
Thor didn't reply, but he eyed his brother worriedly.

This was the second time Loki recalled an event differently from what actually had happened.

'_He believes I threw him from the Bifrost, and he believes the avengers destroyed his hand when in fact both events was of his own accord.' _

Thor didn't know what to make of this. His brother had always had a sharp brain and memory, and yet here now he couldn't recall these incidents. Or, he could, but in a much different way.

'_I did not throw you off the Bifrost brother. You let go._'

But why did Loki remember it differently? What had truly happened in the Void? How much time had Loki spent in the layers between the universe?  
Thor didn't know much about the Void. He was familiar with the concept behind it, but he knew that time and space could be twisted between the layers. The year on Asgard could very well have been much longer in the Void. Or shorter.

"_The Avengers have assembled, mr Odinson._" Jarvis' voice sounded, interrupting Thors chain of thought. He stood up. "I'll be back soon with a answer brother." he informed Loki. He ignored Thor.  
Thor exited the room, closing the door and turning to his friends. They had agreed that they should all keep their distance from Loki. Tony had all but ordered Pepper from the tower, not wanting her any near the psychotic god. When she refused, only an hour later a lawyer from Stark Industries had called her, something about an insanely amount of money being transferred between accounts. Pepper, eying the innocent looking Tony suspiciously, had left to deal with the problem.

"He's awake?" asked Clint, staring at the door suspiciously as if he expected it would burst into flames.

Thor nodded. "My brother has regained consciousness, and I have had words with him."  
Thor hesitated. "He wishes for the chains to be removed, claiming he can heal his hands with his magic."  
Protests sounded even before Thor had finished speaking. "Listen to me!" he said, his voice booming, cutting them all off effectively.

"He will loose the hand if not. You said so yourself, your technology cannot mend that kind of damage. I will not allow that to happen. Your director Fury do not wish for us to leave Midgard so we don't have any choice. But I wished to inform you of this, rather than going behind your back."  
Steve nodded, his expression grave. "It makes sense. But can you keep him in check with the chains off?"  
Thor nodded. "I believe so. He is weak. And without both his hands functioning, he won't be able to use any of his more harmful magics. It should be save enough."

"Then we should let him do it. But the chains are going back as soon as his hand isn't beyond help. Bruce can look at it then, can't you?" the Captain looked at Bruce, who nodded.

Tony cleared his throat. "Well, great. Now that we've decided to remove the only thing keeping your little brother from killing everyone of us - any ideas why he decided to all crazy on my wall?"  
Thor shook his head sadly. "No. It is something I do not understand. When I asked him about it, he claimed to have no memory of it. In fact, as far as he's concerned, the damage to his hand was caused by you."

"_What?!_" Clint and Tony yelled, while Natasha, Bruce and Steve shared a surprised look.

"How is that possible Thor?" Steve asked.

"I don't know. It is something I do not understand. Loki seems to have trouble recalling certain events. Or, he do recall them, only differently - wrongly. He's convinced that _you_ destroyed his hand. He's convinced _I _threw him from the Bifrost."

"He's crazy, that's what's wrong with him!"

"Clint." Steve said, before turning to Bruce. "Doctor, you have any idea what this is?"  
Bruce rubbed his neck, unsure. "I'm not educated or anything. But he shows signs of traumatic stress. It could explain the altered memories." he then said, looking at Thor. "You explained the Void to us, but do you truly know what could've happened to Loki while he was in there?"  
"How could I? Nobody has ever survived to tell the tale."

"Well." said Natasha, stepping forward. "Then how about, we ask him?"

* * *

_Another day, another chapter. You guys are the best. The more reviews and faves, the more inspired I feel to write the next chapter. So, if you want chapters, review :)  
My beta hasn't responded to my email, so after waiting a few days I decided just to publish the chapter – I don't like keeping you waiting! It'll probably be beta'd later, so do read again :)_

_I played around with the idea that asgardians brought animals with them when they traveled the universe. In Thor I, when Thor demands that he is given a dog or cat large enough to ride, I thought 'hey, maybe the cat's he's used to (Freyas) are infact large enough to ride?. The same with Hugin and Munin, I like the idea that there are several 'versions' of the two throughout the universe, reporting back to Odin.)_

_In other news, I got fired from work last week due to financial problems in the company. It sucks big time. I really liked my job, and my coworkers. But, it can't be helped. I'll continue working there the next four months, with full pay and hopefully I'll find another job soon. Should be possible, my former boss – who've also been fired for the same reason – have written me a kick ass letter of recommendation. _

_I find solace in my writing now. It's a shook, getting fired. But, as my mother told me when I was crying on her shoulder: "You'll manage. You're not sick. You're not hurt. This is but a minor bump, and you are strong." _

_My mother is wise._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer:  
I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

Chapter 4

Loki remained still when Thor left to discuss the proposition with the mortals. He made sure to keep his arm and the remains of his hand absolutely still above the bed.  
The pain from his hand was terrible, despite the large amounts of the mortals medicine he knew to be pulsing through his body. He could feel the drugs fog his thoughts, making it hard to think.  
Loki waved his head slowly from side to side, trying to remove the whiteness from his vision. All it did was to make him nauseous instead. He opened his eyes with a groan of frustration.  
The room he was in know didn't have a window either, making it impossible for him to determine just for how long he'd been out. Thor had been wearing the same clothes, so it couldn't have been long. But, for all he knew, the oaf could have forgotten to change all together, once again to come to the _aid _of his once-brother.  
Loki pushed away the thought. It wasn't important, Thor wasn't important. What was important however, was why the avengers had attacked him. He had a faint memory of being angry. And the feeling of being hit over and _over_ and _over_ again. He closed his eyes, taking a deep, shaking breath.  
His unharmed hand was cold, very cold. In fact, he felt cold all over. His throat felt tight, and he gasped for air. By doing so his abused hand moved in the process, causing him to bend forward, hissing as hot, strong shots of pain soared through his body, his nerves screaming with agony.

There wasn't any anger in him now, the pain subdued the emotion. Through the pained haze he briefly wondered how painful it would be if he wasn't full of the mortals ancient remedies. He felt his mouth twist into something that could've been a smile, humour finding it's way through the pain.

_'How ironic, mere mortals keeping my pain at bay.'_

He remained still, hunched forward, cradling his broken arm to his chest. The grotesque smile faded away as he opened his eyes again. Not moving at all, he simply stared ahead. How little he liked it, his fate right now depended on Thor's abilities to convince the earths saviours to allow the chains to be removed. That didn't bring him any comfort. Thor was all muscle and no smarts. The only thing to be heard in the empty room was his own, faint breath. It echoed around him, pulsing of the walls. And he was so cold, his arms was shaking, the pain gone. The lights flickered. He could see his breath in front of him, like small clouds. He could hear his thoughts speak around him. Praising him. _Taunting_ _him_. The room was dark, or was it even a room? Stars and moons and worlds flashed by him, and he shut his eyes, forcing them out. _You threw me into an abyss!_ And how he'd fallen..

Loki's eyes snapped open at the sound of the door. The stars had disappeared, the room was bright. He wasn't cold.

"Are you well Loki?" Thor asked, walking through the door, followed by the doctor and the soldier. The others were nowhere in sight.

Loki shot him a look. "Marvellous." he drawled, keeping his voice steady.  
They didn't show it, but both Bruce and Steve was disturbed by the sight of Loki. The dark hair clung to his face. His skin was ghostly white, and slight tremors shook his body. His lips were almost invisible, and his eyes dark and sunken.

Thor ignored the jab from his brother, and stood beside him. "We have reached the decision, that because you aren't allowed to leave and doctor Banner can't heal your hand, the chains will be removed so you can use your own magic. But only to bring it back from beyond help. Then doctor Banner will see to it and help you heal." Thor explained.  
Loki moved his gaze to the monster, disguised as a man. The man calmly met his eyes.

"Why not let me heal it myself?" Loki asked, looking back at Thor. "It would save you the trouble of aiding your prisoner."

"You need you hand to perform your tricks." said Steve matter-of-factly. "Doctor Banner can heal your broken fingers and we make sure you don't use the chance to blow up the building."

Loki bit out a humourless laugh.

"This is truly a jest. You destroy my hand, and place yourself in this situation and yet you act as if I mean to trick you." Loki bowed his head, and thus didn't see the look briefly shared between Thor and the two avengers. Loki looked up again, all traces of humour gone from his blank, taunting stare. "So be it." he lifted his arms, pain flickering across his face in the process. The chains shined in the dull light.  
With Steve's nod of approval, Thor stepped forward. He gently removed the chains from first Loki's damaged arm (he pretended not to hear his brother's hiss of pain as he did). The other chain followed swiftly.  
Loki breathed hard, his vision swimming from the pain and the relief of feeling his magic pick slightly at his fingertips.

"No tricks, Loki." Thor reminded, standing besides him. Loki smirked.

"So little trust in me?" he whispered, his lips dry and broken.  
Thor's eyes grew dark. "I don't trust you at all, brother."

"Good." said Loki and closed his eyes in concentration. He didn't elaborate, but instead he enjoyed the sensation of power rushing through his blood. The words, old and forgotten, came easily to him as he placed his unharmed hand above the damaged. He breathed slowly, before letting the magic flow. He grimaced in pain when the tissue and veins started pulling itself together. Pieces of crushed bone fell from the hand as new bone took it's place. Flesh and bone traded place, and blood flowed freely onto the makeshift bed he was occupying.

Bruce and Steve couldn't help but feeling a shot of admiration as they watched Loki's hand regain it's form in front of their very eyes. They didn't dare speak. Thor looked worried by the pain written clearly in Loki's features as he continued to work his magic.  
It went on for nearly half an hour. When Loki's once completely destroyed hand regained most of it's old shape, Thor stepped forward, effectively slamming the chains onto Loki's slim wrists again, shutting off his magic once again.  
Loki opened his eyes. He looked exhausted, and irritated when his eyes found Thor's.

"That's enough Loki. Doctor Banner will treat you from now." Thor said, his voice full of authority.

"It would've taken me but a moment to fix the bones, you moron." Loki pointed out, ice in his voice.

"That wasn't the deal." Steve reminded the god firmly. He looked at the doctor. "Doctor Banner, if you would.."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the other side of the tower, Clint and Natasha had been listening to Jarvis' recording from Loki's cell for hours, searching for clues to why he'd freaked out and hurt himself.

"Can you even tell what he's screaming?" asked Clint when Natasha once again paused the recording, making notes.

She shook her head, her red hair dancing about her head as she restarted to the recording. "No. It's barely even words. I asked Thor if they were asgardian but he claimed they held no meaning to him." She ended her note. "But, it bothers me. He's not just screaming. His voice pattern changed several times, as if the source of his terror changed character. He went from pain, to panic, to fear, multiple times. You saw the look on his face when Thor pulled him out." Natasha gave Clint a look. "And we both know that look."

Clint nodded, his expression dark. He held no love for the alien prince, that was no secret. But still.. he'd seen Loki do terrible things. He'd seen Loki face off against all of the Avengers, against Earth itself, laughing all the way. It made him _very _uncomfortable to think of what could have spooked Loki beyond pain and thought.

Clint cleared his throat. "Any idea what caused Jarvis' cameras to malfunction?"  
Natasha stared at the black screen. "No. Maybe we'll learn something when Tony has finished with the repairs." She looked at Clint. "But I think you suspects the same thing as I do."  
Clint nodded. "Why had Loki covered the mirror with his jacket? I'm pretty sure Asgardians don't have one-way mirrors."

"He behaved as if he thought he was being watched. Which he was, but he apparently didn't consider Jarvis a threat. We saw him look directly at the camera, but he didn't do anything to cover that. So, the question is – who was he hiding from, if not us?"

* * *

Natasha looked calmly at Loki. He sat in front of her, his arms chained to the floor in front of him, courtesy of Thor. She sat opposite Loki, with nothing between them.

They were the only ones in the windowless room. She had her arms crossed, her face completely neutral. Natasha Romanoff was a professional, one of the best interrogators in the world and this was her mount Everest. Interrogating the master of lies, a god of dishonesty. She didn't know if she would be able to extract any information from Loki this time. He knew her ways now, her techniques and - and that was the thing that worried her most- he knew her. They sat in complete silence, neither one speaking. She made a mental note of that; Loki loved listening to his own voice.

She tilted her head. "Why did you break your hand?" she asked.  
No answer, no reaction. Loki merely looked at the floor in front of her, his bandaged hand resting in his thigh.

Natasha kept her equally blank, not letting his silence face her resolve.

"It's quite impressive, you being able to heal a injury such as that. It would've been beyond saving had it happened to a human."

There. A tiny flicker in his eyes. Humour. Arrogance.

"But then again, you are quite old. Thor is too, as far as I gather. You live for thousands of years, and you have magic. Quite an advantaged as far as controlling the entire universe." The flicker disappeared, the blankness returning. She leaned a little closer.

"You've seen the Universe, haven't you? Thor explained what the Void is, and how you ended up in it.."

"When has anything Thor said actually been correct?" the voice was so soft she for a second thought that she'd imagined the words. But Loki's gaze shifted to hers. His eyes like a mirror, she could see herself clearly reflected on the haunted surface. She kept her posture, but allowed a tiny amount of shock to grace her features. Loki liked drama, and she would give it to him.

"When has anything the golden prince of Asgard said actually been proven to be right?" Loki hissed, his voice low and dangerous.  
Natasha blinked, slowly. "He is just as old as you are. Surely you've been taught the same things?"  
Then Loki laughed. Truly laughed, with mirth. The laughter turned into a mocking sneer, a growl of anger.

"Have you looked at us?" he whispered, his eyes shinning in the light. "Do we truly look like somebody who've received the same upbringing?"  
He fell silent again, staring at a point behind her head. She quickly picked up.

"So, you know more? You've seen it? Felt it?"

"Felt it, little human?" Loki asked, his voice silky as he tilted his head to look up at her. His features twisted, madness seemed to leak from his eyes. She kept eye contact with him, keeping her gaze steady, her face slipping back into it's neutral state. '_He knows my game.' _she reminded herself._  
_He knew her tactics, her play on emotions. Which was why she played different this time.

"You and your indifferent _human_ capacity of understanding _anything_ wouldn't been able to even comprehend what the Void is! What it feels like.." Loki raised his hand, shaking slightly. His dark hair spilled around his shoulders, his lips forming words before interrupting himself. He smirked, a sick grimace. "Imagine lying on the bottom of your deepest ocean. Imagine all that water above you.. The incredible weight. The darkness. The silence. The _monsters_." he whispered the last part, and she felt her eyes widen slightly. She watched him bringing his hands closer together, as he watched her intently. "Imagine the weight off _everything_, on you. The feeling of being crushed from both inside and out. Suffocation. Feeling immense hunger and thirst. The absence of light, gone for so long you've forgotten how to see. Forgotten the very taste of air..." he stopped as his hands reached, and he lowered them again, still staring at her.

"Can you imagine that, human?"

Natasha watched him, trying to picture the scene described. She could, but she knew what her imagination could create wasn't even close to what he had described.

"I can't." she then answered.

Loki jumped out of the chair, storming towards her, only to be stopped by the chains.

"OF COURSE YOUR CAN'T!" he screamed, his face mere centimetres from hers. Natasha didn't move, she merely looked him calmly in the eyes as she felt his breath on her skin. The chains that had kept him at bay rattled as Loki stumbled a step back, his breath ragged and his eyes full of rage. "I know you couldn't." he stated, his voice normal, and soft again. He smiled, a smile that made her stomach freeze just a tiny bit. "Because I know your fear of death. And believe me, if you ever enter the Void – you will die. Instantly." he sat down, looking at her.

"You are good at this game, for a human."

"You think this is a game?" Natasha asked, ignoring the bribe of getting Clint involved in the conversation.  
He licked his dry lips, leaning backwards. "Of course it's a game." his voice had picked up the familiar arrogant tone. She waited for him to continue but he didn't elaborate.

"Is it normal for people to die when you play games?" Loki shrugged at her question.

"Not uncommon." he raised his gaze from the floor. "My hands are dripping red, much like yours.." and, he added almost like a afterthought ".. and Thor's."  
She didn't let anything show when he spoke, but her mind made mental notes of every expression, every chosen word. She knew there was a meaning behind every little detail he offered her. The way his eyes grew darker when he said his brothers name, the slight shake of his voice at the mention of blood. She knew he learned just as much from her as she did from him. But her advantage was that she wasn't mentally unstable.

"You said there was monsters in the Void." she pressed. That was new information. Thor hadn't mentioned the possibility of creatures actually living in the Void, and as the god had been pretty eager to explain everything else it seemed as if there was new information to be gathered about the place where Loki had fallen.

"Monsters.." Loki repeated the word, playing with it, tasting it, breathing it. "In the Void there's only what you bring with you. Nothing else."

"You said there were monsters. Why would you say that?"

"Haven't you been paying attention, little human? I lie. I am a liar. I say what I want, when I want. I chose what words I want for you to hear. I chose what you mean, what you think and what you feel." he sneered, but she noticed the flicker had returned to his eyes again. A faint glow, blue, only visible for a second and then it was gone. She nodded, not showing any emotion as she stood up. She wouldn't get anything else from him. The anger had returned, the madness seemed to pool around him in the way he held himself, the way he breathed, the way his hand shook. It was time to leave.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

* * *

_At little earlier, in the living room._

"I don't like she's alone with him." Bruce murmured, as they all watched Black Widow interrogate Loki through Jarvis' feed.

"Don't let her hear you say that, she'll whip your butt." Clint informed dryly, earning a chuckle from Tony and Thor.

"She is the best qualified." Steve said, observing the interrogation with a serious expression.

"I get that." Bruce said, looking tiredly at the screen. "It's just.."

"The smell of crazy?" asked Tony innocently, and Bruce gave him _the _look.

"No harm will come to lady Natasha. Loki cannot break the chains, and Starks construction have proven itself strong enough to somewhat withstand my brothers natural strength. Should he attempt to harm her, his binds would slow him down long enough for us to give aid, should she need it." Thor informed.

They all watched as Natasha managed to get through Loki's facade, to get him to talk. They all jumped up, ready to storm out, when Loki looked like he would attack her. Natasha's facade never fell, her emotions never showing except those she allowed in order to manipulate her prey. Clint knew how she worked, and he knew that she learned even more from Loki's eyes and body language than what the rest of them learned from Loki's words alone.

"_Monsters.._" the word was softly spoken, but it caused Thor to tense up. His expression grave, he didn't even notice the other Avengers stare at him.  
When Natasha finished and left the room, Thor stood up to go to his brother. Natasha appeared in the living room a few moments later. The others looked at her expectantly.

"What did you learn?" asked Clint. Natasha looked at her colleague, her eyes worried.

"That there's something out there, and it's using Loki."

* * *

_Thank you so much for your reviews, your faves and follows! It makes me really happy that you like the story! FIY, chapter 3 has now been beta'd!  
_

_So sorry I disappeared on you guys. I kinda lost my way during December,because of the whole situation at work. Which is rather stupid when I look back at it, because on Christmas Eve's Day I got a call from my boss, telling me he wanted to withdraw my resignation. I asked for time to think about it, but I think I'll accept and then look for a new job in peace and with the financial security. So, everything seems to be in order once again. Kinda pissed they couldn't think of that in the beginning, before sending me through lots of hysterics and panic. _

_I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (jul in danish)! I got wonderful presents and really enjoyed spending time with my family. Now I'm ready for 2015, and I can feel that this year is going to be special in all kinds of ways._

_In the Nordics we celebrate christmas on the evening of the 24th. We celebrate Christmas Eve (juleaften, the word jul from the old norse word jól which was the viking midwinter celebration) rather than Christmas morning (which really isn't a thing here).._

_The reason we celebrate in the evening instead of the morning like many other countries, are in fact because of our viking heritage. In the Viking Age, the calender they followed (the norrøn calender, or Norse calender) stated that a new day would begin at sundown._


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer:  
I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

Chapter 5

Thor didn't speak as he led Loki from the interrogation room to his own a few levels up. The blood had been cleaned out from Loki's chamber, but the idea of leaving Loki without a guard didn't suit Thor well. He was very sure they hadn't seen the worst of Loki yet, and until Thor was certain Loki wouldn't harm himself, Thor would not leave him alone or out of his sight.

Natasha had kept Loki for over an hour. It was getting late, the sun had set hours ago and the tower was calm and pleasant. Thor and the Avengers had all eaten earlier but Thor knew Loki hadn't had any food for days. He'd rejected everything offered to him at the air ship, and had only received substance unwillingly when he was unconscious. Normally it wouldn't have bothered Thor, as Loki tended to ignore meals for days and always had. But this, this was different. He looked sick, and he needed the strength.

The younger hadn't said anything when Thor had come for him, to lead him back to their now shared room. He'd raised himself slowly, as if in a daze and followed his brother – or guard, Thor wasn't sure what he was to Loki at this point. Thor kept his gaze straight as they walked down the hall.  
A compliant Loki worried him. Always had, always would.  
Thor wasn't sure Natasha realised the importance of everything his brother had said during her interrogation but he had to wait to confirm this with the others in the morning. All this talk of monsters, Thor didn't know how to deal with it. He'd always liked the stories of terrible beasts far better than this younger brother. The stories of brave warriors, slaying or captivating strange and horrifying creatures. It worried Thor that he didn't truly have any idea for how long Loki had been in the void. He knew the concept of Time was relative in that part of the universe. But the look of Loki, his long hair, his pained expression, his sickly coloured skin not to mention the wounds to his mind. Thor had no doubt that Loki had been trapped for longer than the year he'd been missing from Asgard.

Thor entered his room, Loki following. Thor pulled out a chair, gesturing for his brother to come closer. "Take a seat, brother."  
Loki didn't look up. "Aren't you going to lock me up again? In your little hole?" he asked softly, his eyes focused on the closed door that led to his quarters. Or cell.  
Thor made a face. "No. I want to make sure you don't come to harm again. You'll remain here with me until I am certain that wont happen again."

Loki remained standing. Thor sighed, and sat down on the bed, hunched forward as he regarded his brother with a tired expression.

"Are you hungry brother? I can.." Thor offered, but was cut short by an angry growl.

"What do I care for mortals food! I am your prisoner, you may lock me up and your comrades may harm me, but as long as I can still stand on my own I will not eat a thing you throw my way, son of Odin!" Loki snarled, crossing his arms in front of him. "And don't call me brother."

Thor looked at Loki, hurt in his blue eyes. "I would never throw anything at you Loki. You have hurt me and people I care about, I do not trust you but I will never treat you below that of who you are. You must eat, or else it'll cost you your strength."

"Then, by all means, starve me! That should make your mortals happy."

"Brother.."

"I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER, and do get out before I decide to rid you of your brainless head since you seem not bring it to any fit use!"

"I will not fight with you, Loki." Thor reasoned, his voice even and patient.

"Then you should leave me be, _Thor_." Loki whispered, at last looking at Thor, his eyes cold.

"Because if you remain we _will_ fight."

* * *

"When you say 'using' what do you mean?" asked Bruce, eyeing Natasha warily.

She bit her lip, a sign that set Clint en edge – she was unsure, and a unsure Natasha was never a good sign.

"I mean using in every sense of the word. But who, how and why, I have no idea."

"Any chance your spider sense is off?" asked Tony with a small smile, earning him a kick over the shine from Natasha.

"No." she answered with a smirk. "I'm good." then her expression turned dark.

"It's something that has been bugging me ever since I talked with Loki on the Helicarrier, before he escaped -" at this they all looked very solemn, especially Bruce. "- and my talk with him just now reinforced that feeling. He said, _you brought the monster_. I thought he meant you, doctor Banner, but now I'm not so certain anymore."

"How come?" Steve asked, his face betraying none of his feelings. Tony huffed.  
Natasha reached forward, fast forwarding Jarvis' recording of her talk with Loki. Near the end, she pressed stop. "Observe." she said, and hit play.

_"..ittle human? I lie. I am a liar. I say what I want, when I want. I chose what words I want for you to hear. I chose what you mean, what you think and what you feel."  
_She paused again. "I'm not saying that my hunch is correct, but Loki is by far older than any of us." Tony snorted. "Even the capsicle over there." Steve gave him a _very_ tired look.

"You've already made that joke. _Several_ times Stark. Please let it go."

"Amen to that." mumbled Clint.

"Boys." Natasha interrupted them, looking at Tony. "Yes. Both Loki and Thor are old, and have been through a lot or so I gather. It has only come to Thor's attention recently, but I would be very surprised if Loki haven't been using his talents for lying and deceiving in Asgard without his family and people even knowing about it for a very long time. He was their prince. He could easily have used his influence to trick people into believing his words from a very young age, and in doing so becoming more and more skilled at observing and manipulating. You think I'm good? I've been training for over 20 years -"

"Pardon me, how old are you?" Tony interrupted, his expression surprised.

"Twentynine." she deadpanned. Tony whistled, Steve and Bruce shared a look, while Clint seemed to be a mix between angry and sad.  
Natasha continued, ignoring them "As I was saying, Loki has been manipulating others for quite some time, possible centuries. Hundreds of years, maybe even thousands. That's skill that can't be matched by anyone on Earth, in no way. No one would be able to tell the lies from truth. No human, no machine."

"If your hunch is correct, what does that even tell us?" asked Clint. The archer's voice didn't betray his inner turmoil but in truth Natasha's words troubled him. Deeply. And from the look she shot him he was certain she knew.

"It tells us that we at no time can be certain of Loki's true motives, or anything he says." Bruce said, rubbing his eyes tiredly to which Natasha nodded.

"The brilliance behind a well spoken lie is, that is never a lie. It's a twist of words and reality. For as much as Loki calls himself a liar, I don't doubt that he very often tells the truth but for reasons and with choices of words only he understands. He told me that there was a monster onboard the helicarrier. At that point I thought it meant Bruce, since the Hulk -" she gave a apologetic look which he accepted with a small smile "- fits my first description of a monster. Big, out of control, scary. But when we sit here, in a quiet peaceful room with no immediately danger at us, one realize that monsters comes in many forms beyond the obvious ones."

"Including delusional gods from space." Tony concluded with a sigh. He knew how monsters could hide in people, people you thought were good but then would turn out to be power hungry lunatics with a taste for long monologues and didn't _that_ just a bit too sound familiar?

"How is that we know that this isn't just Loki playing tricks on us again?" asked Clint, scepticism in his voice. "For all we know, he could be planting this doubt in us to throw us off his game."

"Not sure he's sane enough to even have a game by now." Tony said darkly. "Dude's gone passed the critical point a long time ago."

"That's another thing that's bothering me." Natasha piped in. "All this talk of games."

"Loki asked you if he and Thor looked like they'd grown up together." Steve said. "Thor would never use a word like game about a war or even a battle. I'm sure." the others nodded their agreement.

"I agree. Thor would never refer to a war as a game, or an enemy as an ant. We'll have to ask Thor about what Loki's words could mean. Much like you, Natasha, I think he learned more than we did. He tensed up when Loki mentioned monsters, as if the phrase meant something to him." said Clint.

"Did Thor say if he'd come back after he'd returned Loki to his cell?" asked Steve, looking at Natasha who shook her head. "No. He won't leave Loki alone again, on the chance that he tries to harm himself one more time." she replied.

"Then how are we going to ask Thor questions if he wont leave the assbite alone? We can't exactly talk secretly with him right besides us, can we?" said Clint, an unimpressed look on his face.

"We'll work that out tomorrow. It's getting late, we better get some rest and continue this when we're well rested."

"You think we should check on Thor? I mean, Jarvis would tell me if they were ripping the tower apart, but I like to count my blessings." Tony shot in. Steve nodded.

"The two of us check on Thor, the rest of you, sleep. We need it."

* * *

They said their goodnights, and Steve and Tony started to walk down the hallway.

"Jarvis, you there buddy?" Tony asked as they had Clint, Natasha and Bruce out of the way.

"_Always, sir."  
_

"Peachy. Any reports on the black haired menace and his blond brother?"

"_Mr. Thor has repeatedly informed me that there is no trouble at all, and that current events are normal._"  
Tony frowned. "What events?" he asked, worriedly.

"_He and mr. Loki seems to be having a slight disagreement."  
_

"Slight? On what scale?" Tony asked, as he exchanged a look with granddad ice and picked up the pace.

"_Much like your disagreement with colonel Rhodes sir, when you were suffering form palladium poisoning." _Steve gave Tony a curious look when Tony laughed suddenly at the thought of that memory. Pepper had been mad. So had the cleaning lady.

"Aw hell." he swore when they closed in on Thor's door. They could hear shouting now, Thor's booming voice and Loki's more high pitched voice being muffled by the door.  
Steve opened the door, and they braced them selves for what they would find. What they did find threw them off a bit. The room was a mess, as expected. It was apparently impossible to leave two gods alone for half an hour without them trying to destroy your entire home. Shatters of broken interior was spread about the room, broken in what seemed to be fits of sudden anger.

"Loki, stop this!"

Tony and Steve stepped into the room. Thor stood in the middle of the room, looking greatly distressed. Loki stood in the corner, clutching what seemed to be a vase, awkwardly in his chained hands.

"I told you to stop stop bothering me! Leave me _alone_!" Loki yelled, before throwing the very expensive vase directly at Thor's head where it splintered in a thousands pieces. Tony gaped, momentarily speechless at the sight of his broken possession and the very unsettling look on Loki's face. He looked scary.

"You and all of Asgard seems to think you know exactly what I need and when I need it!" Loki spat, stepping closer to Thor.

"Just as the mighty Allfather did, when he took me! When he lied to me! He told you what I am, did he not? You said he did! Why else would you ignore me? Why listen to a beast, a monster! An unruly animal, fit for nothing than to be put away!"

"Loki, it is not what you.." Thor began, causing Loki to laugh, an insane sound like shattering ice.

"It's exactly that! It's what's it always been, me and you. The Allfathers private joke. I had to learn for myself. But _you!_ He told _you_, the mighty Thor, the perfect son. The idiot who needs to have everything told, who can't think even to safe his life! You dare assume you know what I feel?!" Loki screamed.

Tony and Steve observed as Thor advanced on Loki's chained form, holding the muzzle in one of his hands, stern determination written in his features.

"You are forcing me to this, brother. I do not wish to bind you, but you give me no choice when you allow the madness inside of you to speak like this." Thor said sternly, his voice strong. The chains became shorter, at the thunder god's will, forcing Loki's arms down in front of him.

Loki spat, his voice full of venom. "I _loathe_ you, all of you. You, the Allfather, the Allmother, all of Asgard." he hissed, licking his lips in his mad anger "Your death would be too kind a punishment."

Thor didn't reply, but his face showed distress to hear Loki speak such things as he placed the muzzle on his brothers mouth and secured the chains to the floor, giving Loki no option to move. Thor looked around when he felt a hand on his shoulder, only to find Steve and Tony behind him, both with a worried expression. His face quickly composed itself in the face of his two friends.

"I am sorry you had to witness that." he said, looking down at Loki who stared back at him with dark, dull eyes.

"Me too – do you have any idea how much that vase is worth?" asked Tony sadly.

"No, how could I?" answered Thor, a little bewildered.

"Never mind. What got the princess all worked up again?"

After having made sure Loki was in no position to hurt or free himself, Thor led Steve and Tony to the hall. The thunder god looked very sad when he'd finally closed the door behind him.

"I apologize you had to hear that."

"I have feeling we'll get to hear a great deal more in the days to come." Tony remarked, Steve nodding. "Why did he get angry?"

"I.. I can't tell. He asked me to stop talking, but that's how he's always been. I tried to reason with him, but that only made him angrier." Thor said, sadness in his voice. "I am not a perfect brother, nor is he. But I do love him, and I don't understand why he can't see that anymore."

"His anger was probably a reaction to Natasha poking around his thoughts for the good deal of an hour." Tony said. "Look, big guy. I don't know if you've done somethings wrong to Loki in your past. You most likely have, we all fuck up at some point of our life. But that?" Tony pointed at the door. "- that is so much more than just anger or even resentment. I'm not very good at touchy subjects like feelings and truth, but give Natasha time. She'll probably work out what's got him so worked up."  
Steve padded Thor on the arm. "Get some sleep now. We'll talk tomorrow."

* * *

Loki listened when the idiot and the mortals left the room. He could feel his breathing in the muzzle, the damp and the heat. The lack of oxygen calmed his head and the fog of anger left again. He remained on the floor, chained to the floor for his 'protection'. How it could ever protect him to be left helpless was beyond him to understand. Thor had been around those mortals for far too long, it clearly didn't do his already lacking intelligence any favours.

The damp from his breath made the muzzle uncomfortable against his chin and skin, the taste of metal harsh on his tongue. Loki sank, biting back the bitter words he couldn't express. And found he'd forgotten why he wanted to say them. His heart stopped in his chest at that thought, his eyes wide and open. '_My thoughts are my own, my mind is mine to command.' _he thought, desperately fighting against the binds, knowing it was a lost battle. _'My mind is mine.' _he repeated, his inner voice shaking with doubt as the cold crept up behind him, stroking his neck gently before taking a hold. Chained and muzzled, he couldn't make a sound for help or even one of pain. Loki remained still, panic welling up in his chest as he desperately tried to force air into his lungs. When he thought he was going to pass out, the pressure released him and he felt air stream down into his lungs. Loki almost choked at the sensation, as he leaned forward, coughing silently in the muzzle, the metal taste in his mouth becoming even stronger as blood forced itself into his mouth with his hives. He opened his eyes, and saw red. Loki almost screamed, as he thought his eyes had turned. But then he calmed. Blood was dripping from his nose, onto the floor, staining the carpet among the bits and pieces of the iron mans destroyed property. He felt like he was going to be sick, the blood still coming into his mouth and he gagged.

He remained like that, for a few minutes, unmoving on the floor, when Loki heard the door open and Thor entered the room again.

"Loki, what have you done!" Thor exclaimed when he saw the blood on his brothers face. Loki almost rolled his eyes when Thor gently wiped the blood away from his face and pressed the cloth to his nose. "You shouldn't get so angry." Thor murmured, more to himself which was the only reason Loki didn't try to kill him right in that moment. That, and the fact that Thor removed the muzzle. Loki spat the blood out of his mouth, breathing deeply as the sick feeling left him.

Thor went to bed, after having made sure Loki would be as comfortable as he could be, chained to the floor. In the faint light he never once saw the white marks on Loki's throat, the marks of a hand.

Loki ignored Thor's worried eyes, and closed his own. In that second he saw clearly, for the first time in days.. The signs of manipulating, of a disrupted reality. It made him feel sick to his core. He felt violated, and the dead feeling inside him only grew.

'_My mind is not my own._'

But the realization slipped away from him, and he knew no more as he fell through the abyss and the nightmares claimed him.

* * *

_I wrote this chapter while I was waiting for my beta to read through chapter four (she's busy, bless her!). So, in that way you get your chapters quicker (and it only took me a month to think of this). They haven't been beta'd yet though, so I excuse for my weird grammar. Please feel free to point it out, I do try to learn and correct._

_I've finally sat down and worked out a plan for what this story is actually going to be about. I hadn't really thought that much about it before, I just wanted to write Loki angst and Thor Feels._

_I have no idea how old Natasha is. I couldn't find a reliable source, so I just made her around Scarlett's age. Seemed appropriate. _


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer:  
I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

Chapter 6

_Odin looked up as Tyr walked into the throne room.  
_

_"What news do you bring, good Tyr?" the Allfather asked. The war god nodded.  
_

_"The Collector has lost the Aether. Apparently another customer of his appeared with what we think was another Infinity Stone. It blew up his collection, and in the following chaos the Aether disappeared."  
Odin nodded, his face serious. "This is ill news. Who was this customer? Where did they find a Infinity Stone?"_

"_They call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy. They are little more than criminals, but apparently they all have a immense dislike for injustice. They managed to keep the power stone out of Ronan's hands."  
Odin frowned. "What does Ronan the Accurser want with the an Infinity Stone?"_

_Tyr looked grave. "Apparently he had been hired by Thanos to collect it." At this news Odin felt his eyes widen. He nodded to Tyr, giving him leave. As his Commander walked away, Odin turned to Frigga besides him. She looked worried.  
_

_"If Thanos has the Aeather, and knows how to wield it's power, no one is safe." she said. Odin nodded in agreement.  
_

_"Huginn, Muninn." the two ravens soared down to him, settling on the Allfathers knees. They looked at him with their dark eyes as he gently stroked their black feathered heards.  
_

_"Bring this message to Thor. It is urgent that he returns to Asgard as soon as possible." Odin began, and the birds listened carefully to the message._

* * *

Ever since he'd been released from Loki's control, Clint had had trouble sleeping.  
He dreamt of the things he'd done.  
So it wasn't unusual for Clint to be up and about quite early, getting only a few hours of sleep every night. He sat in Starks living room, coffee in one hand and a arrow in the other. He was spinning it absent-mindedly as the strong drink worked it's magic on his head.  
Clint knew it would get better, giving a few weeks. He had killed colleagues before, people who'd turned on SHIELD. So right now, he accepted his fate as a involuntarily hit man. He lost a few hours of sleep. He could live with that.

Clint looked up when the door opened and Thor appeared, dressed, looking exhausted but his bright eyes as alert as ever.

" 'morning." Clint said, raising his coffee mug in greeting. Thor nodded, walking towards the archer.

"Good morning, friend Barton. How come you are up so early?" Thor said, sitting down beside him.  
Clint shrugged. "Can't sleep." he said, draining his coffee.  
Thor nodded. "It is understandable. It's only been little more than nine days. But I'm sure, in time you'll get to sleep again."  
Clint gave Thor a small smile. "I'm counting on it." He got up. "Want some coffee?"  
Thor lit up. "I would like that."  
Clint returned a few moments later, with two steaming cups of coffee in hand, handing one to Thor.

"Why are you up? It's only 5 in the morning." asked Clint after they'd sat in a few moments of silence.

Thor took a drink, looking a head. "Loki's asleep. I feared I'd wake him. He refuses to eat and he's very weak. He needs rest before lady Natasha can speak with him again."

That made sense. "I bet you snore a lot, being the god of thunder and all?" Clint asked, smirking, raising his coffee to his lips.  
Thor chuckled. "That is true. And Loki hates it."

"All the more reason for you to remain asleep." Clint pointed out, setting down his up, his voice bitter. Thor looked at the archer, his eyes apologetic.

"I am very sorry for what my brother put you through, my friend."

"It not for you to apologize for." Clint said, but then he smiled. "But thank you anyway."

"You and Natasha have known each other for a long time?"

"Not long, by your standards. A little over ten years." Clint answered, putting his drained cup down. He looked at Thor. "How old are you?"

"Well over a thousands of your years."  
Clint whistled. Thor smiled, and put down his cup. "I thank you for the coffee, and the honour of speaking with you." He looked at Clint. "One thing I've learned about humans, my friend, is that you put too much faith in the amount of years one has lived. It does not take ages to achieve greatness." he said seriously. Clint looked at him, mute for moment.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"In your eyes, the age of both myself and Loki seems to put us at at greater advantage. But you are wrong about that. It is true that I've learned much in my many years under my parents tutor ledge. But it took meeting Jane Foster and her friends for me to actually know what to do with all that knowledge."

"I guess." Clint replied. "But your baby brother doesn't seem agree with you on that. He thinks himself superior in every way."  
Thor didn't reply. He stood up, walking towards the windows where the sky was just beginning to lighten in the east. Clint was confused for a moment until he noticed the black bird sitting on the window, pecking on the glass.

"Hey, isn't that.." he said, quickly following Thor.

"Muninn." Thor said, opening the window, allowing the bird inside the tower. The raven hopped inside, and onto Thor's outstretched arm with a soft, musical sound.

"Greetings, messenger. You bring words from my Father?" Thor said, bringing the bird up to his eyes.  
Clint watched, not really sure how he should react to that fact that Thor apparently could speak with the bird. But that thought vaporised when Muninn started to speak, looking Thor directly in the eyes. Clint couldn't understand what the bird said, but from the look on Thor's face he figured it wasn't good news.  
When the raven stopped speaking – or what you called it – Thor nodded this thanks to the bird, who flew off, before turning to Clint. "My friend, could you.."

"..go fetch the others?" Clint finished the sentence, yawning. "Got it."

* * *

"The Infinity what?" Tony just about had it with magic and gods and aliens. It had only been a week and a half since they fought off an alien invasion, and it seemed that the Universe now had decided to unveil everything. Ignorance was bliss, and he was beginning to sorely miss it.  
They were in the conference room, with Fury on screen, scowling down at them like it was somehow their fault that everything just had gotten even weirder.

"_Thor, talk to me. What is this new nonsense?_" Fury demanded, his voice extremely tired.

"The Infinity Stones." Thor explained. "There are six stones, each with a unique ability. They predate the Universe, and are powers of infinite destruction. They have been under Asgards protection for many years, but it seems that the stones have grown restless. They scatter temselves, finding new hosts and allies. This morning, I received news from Asgard about them. It appears, that the Collector Taneleer Tivan who was entrusted with the protection of the Reality Stone – also known as the Aether – has failed his task and lost it. My father fears that it has fallen into the hands of Thanos."

"Who's Thanos?" asked Steve, arms crossed in front of him. He looked worried.

"An intergalactic conqueror. We haven't heard from him for thousands of years, ever since Odin banished him from the Universe. We thought him gone, but it seems he's on the move. Other criminals throughout the Universe has been reported to do his bidding. Thanos steals children, killing their families, and raising them as assassins. Oddly enough, one of his daughters - that is what he calls his assassins - have turned on him. She was the one who kept the Orb from being delivered to Thanos. It was when she wanted to sell the Orb - the Power stone - to Tivan that he lost the Aether."

"How?" asked Bruce curiously.

"The Orb's power can't be contained by mortals and apparantly it blew up his house and collection. The Aeather got lost in the following confusion. Gamora, Thanos daughter, managed to get away with the Orb and her friends."

"_Why did Odin inform you of this?_" asked Fury.

"He wishes me to return home as soon as possible, with the Tesseract and Loki. As it is one of the Infinity Gems, it should be guarded in Asgard where Thanos cannot reach it should he try and collect them all. That would bring ruin to the entire Universe."

"The Tesseract is a Infinity Stone?" Tony sounded quite alarmed. "How did it end up on Earth? I thought you said -" he looked at Steve "- that Hydra used it back in World War Two." Steve nodded.

"They found it, in Norway." the soldier confirmed. Tony frowned, quickly piecing the puzzle together. "You put it here, didn't you? Asgard? You left the Tesseract on Earth." he said, voice accusing.

"I believe the Allfather thought no one would look for it here. The Earth has held no interest to any other world so far. And for a thousand years it has been safe." Thor defended.

"Yeah, well that boat has sailed now." Tony remarked, shaking his head, resting his head in his hand. He looked at Thor. "Let me guess – the Tesseract allow its holder to travel through space?"

"It is called the Space Gem, that is correct." Thor agreed.

"How did Loki know it was on Earth?" asked Natasha

"He can't have. Somebody must've told him."

"_Agent Romanoff._" Fury said, causing all of them to look at the screen. "_I don't care how you do it. But find out from where Loki got this intel and report directly to me.__If we face another invasion, I want to know about it yesterday."_

Natasha nodded. "Of course sir."  
Fury huffed. "_Good." _and the link went dead.  
Natasha looked at Thor. "Before we talk with Loki again, there's some things I wish to speak with you about." she said, leaning back in her chair.

"The others told me you tensed up yesterday, when Loki mentioned monsters. What meaning does that word hold to you?"  
Thor hesitated before explaining. "You remember me telling you about Loki's true heritage?"

"Sure." Tony and the others nodded.

"Over a thousand years ago, Jotunheimr and Asgard were at war. Asgard won, but at great costs. Many died, leaving their husbands, wifes and children behind. Many stories were told, and every child on Asgard grew up with tales of the ice monsters of Jotunheimr, the jotuns. Including Loki and I. We were taught to fear them, and later to hate them. When Loki learned that he, in fact, were a jotun himself, he was beyond grief. My father and mother told of this. He called himself a monster. That's the reason he tried to kill him all, to distance himself from them."

"So, what you are saying is, that when Loki speaks of monsters, he could actually be speaking of himself?" Steve asked surprised. Thor nodded.

"I am sure."

"It makes sense." Natasha shot in. "When I asked him about the Void, he said that the only thing that exist in there are what you bring yourself. The news of him being a part of a race that he hates most likely send him over the edge into insanity. He's not able to see himself as anything else but what he's been taught and so he embraced it, allowing it to dictate his actions and at the same time using the lies your parents have told him as a shield – wont you say, doctor?"

"It's entirely possible." Bruce agreed. "Loki most likely sees himself as something unique, someone without a race or family. It makes him feel special, and at the same time worthless."

"But he has a family!" Thor objected, heatedly. "I told him of our mothers grief, of how we mourned when we thought him dead. He laughed.."

"Thor, I know you don't like to admit it – but the news of his true heritage most likely caused him to have a mental breakdown. He tried to kill himself because of it, throwing himself of the Bifrost. That is not normal behaviour. Whatever happened to him after that fall will only have fuelled his madness even more, causing him to sink lower into his own mind. He no longer sees clearly." Bruce reasoned. Thor sighed heavily.

"If I hadn't been banished, none of this would've happened."

"You can't think like that. It won't change anything, and I'm afraid it would've happened anyway. Don't take the blame for your parents and Loki's mistakes." Bruce said seriously. "None of the above gives anyone the right to try and kill an entire race, or to invade a planet."  
Thor didn't reply, he looked at the video feed showing him Loki. It had been running through the entire meeting. Loki was awake. He was lying down, staring up into the celling. He hadn't moved since he woke up. He had merely opened his eyes.

They all followed Thor's gaze. "You think he's up for another of Widow's little talks?" asked Tony, doubt in his voice as he watched their prisoner. "Because to me it looks like that little temper tantrum he threw last night broke whatever sanity he had left."

"What happened last night?" asked Clint.

"Steve and I went to check on Thor, after the rest of you went to bed. We found him and Loki arguing. Or, Loki screaming and destroying my property and Thor trying to stop him." Tony summarised.

"And you didn't bother telling the rest of us?" asked Clint dryly. "I prefer to know when the princess is upset."  
Thor growled at the jab, but Clint ignored him. Tony waved him off. "It wasn't serious, just Loki screaming at Thor. Although." he squinted at the screen. "Why is he covered in blood?"

"When I returned to him after I spoke with you and friend Steve, I found him bleeding. If he had harmed himself again, or simply having gotten a nosebleed from his anger I don't know. But he was out of breath and seemed to calm down after I removed the muzzle again." Thor explained.

"Although I did find it odd that he didn't resumed to yell at me after I removed the muzzle. Instead he seemed to sink deep into himself, thinking. When I deemed he wouldn't cause any danger to himself, I went to sleep."

"When was the last time he ate?" Bruce asked suddenly.

"I don't think he's eaten anything while on Earth." Thor replied.

"I don't recall him doing much but walking around talking, or meditating while he was controlling me." Clint informed.  
"So almost two weeks without any food. Thor, I know you are as close to gods as we can get, but is that healthy? At this rate, he wont be able to answer Natasha's questions."

"He refuses to eat anything. That was one of the things we fought about. He said he would rather starve."

"Fine by me." Clint muttered. Thor looked at him, frowning with a new found wonder. "He said, you would say that." the thunder god explained when Clint looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The statement made Clint extremely uncomfortable. "Well, the fucker should know, having lived in my head for several days." he growled, avoiding their gaze.

Thor returned his attention back to the screen. Loki hadn't moved.

"I'll go fetch Loki, and bring him to you, Natasha." he offered, standing up. She gave him a smile.

"Thank you. And, Thor?" he stopped and turned to her. "I would like for you to stay with me and Loki this time." Thor nodded, before exiting the room.  
Clint frowned at Natasha. "Why do you need Thor for, Nat?"

Black Widow stood up, adjusting her jacket. "I seem to have missed all of Loki's emotional outbursts so far, and I'm not going to miss out on the next one." she answered, with a wink.

* * *

"Why did you attack Earth?" Natasha asked. She sat in front of Loki, Thor standing behind her. Loki was chained to the floor once again, staring right at her, a fire in his eyes. He didn't answer.

"How did you know the Tesseract was on Earth?" she pressed, still not getting any answers.

It had been going on for a while now. A few times she thought she'd seen a hint of emotion, but it disappeared again so quickly she was unsure it had even been there. She didn't show it, but Loki's lack of speaking worried her more than the fact that he was most defiantly ill. He had followed Thor without a fight to the room, save a few nasty words aimed to hurt his brother. That had been all. He was pale, his eyes sunken and the skin around them red and dark. He had lost weight too.

Natasha looked at Thor, and found his face as unreadable as Loki's. But he gave her a small nod. She looked back at Loki. "What do you know of Thanos?"

Loki blinked when she voiced her question. She was pleased to get an reaction out of him, and leaned forward. "So the name means something to you?" she pressed.

Loki's head leaned forward ever so slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. He breathed a soft laugh.

"The Mad Titan? His name should mean something to all in the universe." he whispered, his voice raw. His eyes traveled to Thor.

"That is, all that bothers to learn about the place they are supposed to rule some day." he closed his eyes, the slight smile still on his lips. He drew breath slowly, looking back at Black Widow, his bright eyes mocking.

"You are mere children. How come you've heard the name? By whom? Surely not my dearest brother, who so stands guard behind you, protecting you from the mad prisoner."

"You father told us." Natasha informed, her voice bored.

A dangerous glint entered Loki's eyes, and he drew a quick breath, like hiss.

"I have no father, agent Romanoff. I killed him. If you speak of the lying Allfather, I claim no kinship with him." he fell silent, his eyes darting between Thor and Natasha.

"Then what of mother? Do you not claim kinship to her either? She, who taught you your magic?" Thor asked, anger in his voice. Loki looked at him, as if only just remembering he was in the room.

"No." he said curtly. "Whatever lies she fostered me on, I now see past them."

"Mother has never lied to you!" Thor said, stepping forward. Natasha threw up her arm, stopping the thunder god from getting too close.

Loki stood up too, the mad rage shining from his eyes. "She has lied to me my entire life! I am not her son, how dared she pretend so!" he growled, his hands shaking, causing the chains to rattle.

"She does love you! She was the one who saw you were alive, who send me here to bring you home!" Thor argued back, a clap of thunder sounding. "She has worn black for an entire year.."

Loki laughed, a pained, broken sound.

"I do apologizes for that! But as I was too occupied by being thorn to shreds by reality and time, I had little time to consider what my actions did to the Allmothers gowns!"

"How dare you insult her!" Thor said, forcing himself past Natasha, grabbing Loki by his collar, lifting him him, their faces mere inches apart. "You know nothing of what your actions did to her!"  
Loki merely stared at Thor, an ugly snarl on his face. Natasha had gotten up, standing behind Thor.

"Then why did you throw me, brother dear?" Loki asked, his voice as cold as a dead star. He slammed his forehead against Thors, staring him in the eyes. Thor could feel his breath, the icing cold from his brother. "WHY DID YOU THROW ME OFF THE BIRFROST?" Loki kicked out, and Thor dropped him in surprise. Loki took stance, as a wounded animal, bent over, his arms slugging forward. He breathed hard.

"You brought her this pain! You hurt her!" he lashed out at Thor, who stepped back, out of reach.

"YOU CAUSED HER PAIN! YOU PAINED ME! YOU LEFT ME ALONE!" blinded by tears Loki fought the chains, drawing blood.

"Do you know for how long I was in the Void! Years! Do you know how I survived in the cold nothing?! What I had to do to myself?!" Loki screamed, his eyes turning red with anger and resentment, the blue shade of his natural skin forced its way out. Thor gapped, the same did Natasha. Loki, in his jotun form, stood in front of them. Tears of humiliation and rage rolled down his cheeks as Loki looked at his hands, a look of pure disgust written in every inch of his posture and face.

"I had to do this to myself, in order to live.. I had to lower myself to this monstrous form to be able to breath the air and even then the Void turned me to ice! I would do anything to escape, anything!" the red eyes and blue skin disappeared once again. Thor stared at Loki, for once speechless.

Loki ignored the stinging in his eyes, the streaks of blood mixing with the clear crystal tears falling from his eyes. He was shaking. "That was how _he_ found me.." he whispered, brokenly, stumbling forward, sinking to the ground, his body limp. Natasha pushed pass Thor who seemed rooted to the spot, catching Loki before he could hit the ground. She felt Loki tense against her, but before she could let go of him, a sharp object pressed itself against her throat. She froze, and Thor cried out, alarmed.

"One move -" Loki whispered, dragging himself to his feet weakly, pulling Natasha up with him, the knife against her pale neck. "- and she is dead."

* * *

_I've official screwed up the timeline. You'll understand later. But from now on, it's completely AU but with heavy inspiration from MCU. If there's something you don't understand, please PM me :)_

_I live of reviews and faves. Want a quicker update? How 'bout a little review. I'll love you forever!_


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer:  
I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

Chapter 7

Thor stepped forward cautiously. "Loki, let her go." he asked, gently.  
Loki tightened his grip on Natasha, backing away. His eyes narrow and his lips trembling.

"Don't come closer, brother!" he sneered, pressing the knife closer to Natashas unprotected neck, drawing blood. She winced in pain, but remained calm as she allowed Loki to pull her back as far as the chains would allow, creating space between them and Thor. The thunder god remained where he was, fearful for his comrades safety in the unstable hands of his brother. He kept a watchful eye on Loki the entire time, never backing away but not coming any closer either.

"Loki, don't make this worse for yourself." Thor said, pleading with his brother. "Just release her and no consequences need to come of this."

"_Worse_?" Loki repeated, his voice high. Natasha struggled against his hold, and Loki focused on her instead of Thor. He forced her head backwards, stroking the knife over her skin.

"Keep still." He whispered coldly, pressing his mouth against her red hair, close to her ear. She shivered when his cold breath touched her skin. "Or I will hurt you." Loki's eyes flickered back to Thor. They seemed darker and more hollow than ever.

"Remove the chains. You release me. Those are my conditions. Release me, and I'll spare her miserable short life." Loki demanded.

"No you wont." Natasha managed to say despite the hold on her throat, her voice tight from the awkward position of her high held head. Loki's mouth twitched, a ghost of a smile on his lips. He licked his dry lips, watching her with ill humour. "He will stop you." she added, as Loki barked out a hollow laugh.

"Who, Thor?" he asked, his voice soft with sick anticipation. "I don't see how he can without you loosing your head. Perhaps you would like to test me?"

Thor made a move as to step forward, but was instead thrown off balance when the floor shook as a roar echoed trough the tower.

Natasha smirked. "Not Thor" she said, as a crash sounded from below them, startling Loki. "The _other_ guy."

Loki had barely regained his footing when the door to the room was blown apart, entering a very big, very strong and extremely pissed off Hulk. The beast shook his giant head, clearing debris from his eyes as he stomped into the room. Thor quickly backed away, closer to Loki.

"Loki, LET HER GO!" he pleaded, as Hulk scanned the room with wild eyes, finally settling on Loki and his hostage in the far most off corner of the room. Hulk sneered, hammering his hands into the floor as he roared again.

"Banner, NO!" Thor yelled, desperately trying to stop him as Hulk charged. Natasha freed herself from Loki's grip when she felt his arms slack their hold on her. Loki seemed petrified in shock, and she quickly ducked out of the way as Hulks fist soared through the air, knocking Loki back through the room, slamming the god against the wall with a pained yell. He didn't even get a chance to fall down before Hulk was over him, raining down punches over and over again. With another roar, Hulk smashed Loki through the wall and into the next room, quickly following behind in the cloud of dust and debris flying through the air. The chains was ripped from the floor in the process, flying after, snapping through the air. Loki screamed in pain, but his cries was soon drowned out by Hulks furious roars.

Thor hurried after. "Banner, stop this!" Thor attempted, throwing himself at Hulk's back, attempting to restrain his arms from punching the life out of Loki.  
Natasha got up just as Iron Man, Hawkeye and Captain America ran into the room, having apparently been left behind when Bruce lost control of Hulk. She gave them a quick nod, assuring them of her wellbeing. She pressed her hand against the shallow wound to her neck.

"I'm good." she said. "It's just a scratch."

"Good." Steve said. His face was grim. "Banner lost control." Clint rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, thanks for stating the obvious, Cap! We have to stop him before he rips my tower apart!" Iron Man shot back, as Thor soared through the room, crashing down in front of them. Hulk didn't follow, and by the sound of it he had resumed to punching the living daylights out of Loki. Thor groaned as he quickly raised himself.

"Banner will not listen. If he continues like this, he'll kill him!" he said, looking at the others desperately.

The Avengers shared a look, and Thor's face fell, his eyes hardening.

Then Captain America nodded, breaking the tension. "Iron Man, you and Thor – you handle Hulk. Hawkeye and I get Loki out of there."  
However, before they could rush into action, the noise of battle ceased. They all rushed to the other room, finding Bruce kneeling on the floor, collecting his destroyed clothes around him. He looked up, a scared look on his face.

"Sorry.." he said weakly as they entered. The room was completely destroyed. Chunks of concrete lay scattered about, dust hanging thickly in the air.

Thor pattered Bruce on the shoulder as he quickly walked pass him. Loki was easy enough to spot among the rubble.  
He laid on the remains of the floor, having been slammed into the ground multiple times it seemed. He didn't move as Thor carefully kneeled down beside him.  
The others slowly walked up behind Thor, Steve pulling off his helmet as he knelt down besides Thor, surveying the damage caused by Hulk's freakout.  
"Is he alive?" Steve asked, his voice worried, just as Thor took his brothers abused hand in his. The chains had cut through the already damaged skin, leaving nothing but flesh and bared bone.

"Loki?" Thor asked, feeling for a pulse. "Can you hear me?"

Thor had hoped for a weak pulse, a shimmer of a eyelash, maybe movement. So when he felt the rapid pulse of his brother, and how Loki's hand quickly grabbed hold of Thor's own, he was too shocked to react. He simply stared as Loki's eyes snapped open, staring at him with a clarity Thor hadn't seen in days, if not years. Gone was the fog, the haunted look, the blank numbness. The blue eyes was as sharp as Thor remembered them from growing up, although pain quickly dulled his gaze, drowning out a bit of the steely stare.

"Thor!" Loki gasped weakly, fumbling to regain a better hold on his brothers hand with his trembling hands. Blood was everywhere. Loki was bleeding from a bad cut to the head and the god's would know how many bones he'd broken. But still, he held on to Thor. He gasped for breath, coughing up blood. "Thor.." he said again, his voice growing weaker.

"I am here, brother." Thor reassured. "You will be fine."

"Ooo-of course I will, you fool." Loki stammered. His body convulsed, and he threw himself aside, vomiting up blood.

"Oh jeez.." Tony breathed. "Guys, we better get him to the ER before he bleeds to death."

"You have an ER?" Natasha asked, eyebrow raised.

"I may sometime injure myself, that's not important right now!" Tony snapped back.  
Thor ignored their bickering, helping Loki back up and away from the blood as careful as he could without causing him further pain. Loki let go of Thor's hand, placing it behind his brothers neck, pushing Thor's head down to his own.

"_Thor_.." he breathed, darkness dancing in the corners of his eyes. His body had almost given up, it was by pure determination he kept himself from passing out.

"What is it?" Thor asked, letting Loki rest his head against his own forehead. It bought pained memories back from their youth.

Loki stared into Thors eyes, blood dripping from his chin in a steady movement as he tried to speak.

"_Than-no.. has.. the st..__._" Loki coughed, spitting out blood with each word. Thor felt it hit his face but he kept his gaze locked steady with Lokis vibrating eyes. Loki took a deep, rattling breath. "_The st..one..." _Loki's voice had gotten a slight panicked note as he stared at Thor, desprate to be understood.

"What are you saying?" Thor asked gently, as he felt Lokis hold on his neck becoming slack.

Loki breathed hard, before seemingly deflating before their eyes.

"_C..ognitive.. re-calibr._." Loki whispered, before his closed his eyes, as he allowed the darkness to claim him.  
Thor looked up at the wide eyed Avengers with Loki unconscious in his arms. He felt his own amazement, but there was more pressing matters to attend to. His eyes found Bruce, who had managed to collect his clothes around him.

"Doctor, can you see to him?" he begged.

Bruce was amazed by Thor. Hulk had beat him, and Loki, more times that he could remember and yet he was still the first person Thor turned to when in regard to his brothers health. Even when he was single-handedly responsible for the damage.  
Bruce kneeled on the other side of Loki, opposite Thor and Steve.

"He's alive, which is something." he muttered, carefully checking up on Lokis vitals and the amount of damaged. Bruce looked up, catching Tony's eyes. "I need a stretcher. Do you have one?"

"Of course I do." Tony replied, arms crossed. Bruce gave him a look. "Oh, you want me to get it?"

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind."

"Actually, I would – cupid, you're up." Clint gave Tony a blank look.

"I'm not you errand boy, Stark."

"Guys!" Bruce snapped, a slight growl to his voice that caused everybody to shut up. "Stretcher, now! Clint, prepare the ER. We can't use blood transfusion, so we have to patch him up quickly."

"Fine fine!" Tony and Clint both disappeared, Tony to get the stretcher, Clint to prepare the ER.

"You asgardians are truly amazing. I can't believe he survived that beating." Bruce marvelled, as they sat in silence.

"I'm not sure an asgardian would've survived that, not one as weak as Loki were. Jotuns are tough, very tough." Thor replied. "He may despise them and even himself. But his true nature have saved his life more than once." Thor sighed. "I do wish I could get him to see that he isn't a monster."

"His nature may not be monstrous, but his actions are." Steve said. Thor looked at him, anger in his eyes.

"I have not forgot what Loki has done, friend Steve! Do not take me for a fool."

"I don't. But as Widow earlier told us, we have to keep in mind that Loki tries to manipulate us."

"You can't expect him to be manipulating you, now? Have you not seen him? He's drowning in his own blood!" Thor said, just as Bruce rolled Loki onto his side, to ease his breathing and keep him from choking on his own blood.  
Steve didn't answer, and Thor wisely chose to ignore the team leader, returning his attention to Loki. Just then Tony reappeared with the stretcher. "Here you are, Brucie."  
Bruce nodded his thanks. "Thor, lift him gently onto it. He's got a lot of broken bones, and some internal bleeding, but by some miracle Hulk didn't break either his neck or back. But I need to get him to the ER and make sure just what the damage is. I might need help, so one of you better call Fury"  
Gently, with more care than anyone would think the thunder god could muster, Thor lifted Loki from the floor. Blood dripped on the floor as he carried him to the stretcher and carefully laid him down. Bruce took charge, guiding the stretcher out of the room with Thor following closely behind, leaving Tony, Steve and Natasha in the destroyed room. Tony looked around, a frown on his head.

"Okay, I stop collecting holes made by gods now. Jarvis, do get someone to clean that up that mess." Tony informed the AI.

"_Certainly_. _May I ask why, sir? You seemed rather thrilled about it yesterday."  
_

_"_They seem to happen on a regular basis." Tony shrugged. "I only like originals."

* * *

They did call Fury, not really believing he would offer them any help at all.  
Fury had raised an eyebrow at the news of Hulk beating up Loki, smirking while he received a quick brief of what had happened. Despite it all, he agreed to send a medic to assist Bruce in patching up Loki. First he refused, but when Thor started to argue, a thunderstorm quickly brewing on the entire east coast with thunder and heavy rain, he reluctantly agreed to send a medic to avoid Earths first intergalactic diplomatic crisis.

Thor watched from outside the ER, as Bruce and the shield doctor worked together to stabilize Loki. Thor had removed the chains, allowing the two doctors to bandage Loki's heavily injured wrists. The shield medic amazed them. She didn't even mention the fact that her patient was Loki, terrorist and war criminal. Right now he was simply her patient, and she and Bruce worked efficiently as a team. They soon stopped the bleeding, and started to undo the damage to Loki's many broken bones.

Having finally come to the conclusion that Loki would in fact survive his ordeal (not that he'd had any doubt), Thor left the ER window to go join his comrades.  
He found them in the kitchen, eating dinner. Natasha had had her wound cleaned and wrapped, and the only thing witnessing her stand off with Loki was the now white bandage around her slender neck. Otherwise she looked like herself.

Tony raised his glas in greeting as Thor sat down. "Since you are here, I assume I'm not hosting a funeral?" he joked, but the smile never reached his eyes.

"Doctor Banner told me Loki would survive, he just needs time to recover. He's still unconscious, but not in any danger." Thor replied, his voice relieved.

"Will Bruce join us?" asked Steve as Thor sat down beside Clint. The big man nodded.

"He said he would come in a few minutes, he's saying farewell to the medic that assisted him, thanking her for her service."

"I honestly didn't think Fury would send anyone." Tony said, his voice thoughtful. "But I guess even Fury have to set aside personal hatred when the threat of an intergallactic diplomatic crisis rises. You got quite a temper there, Point Break. Hit every weather report!"

"Don't be an idiot Stark, of course Fury wouldn't let Loki die." Clint replied, while Thor coloured slightly. "Although my guess is that he's over the moon that Bruce managed to give Loki a good beating."

"Well, I'm not." Bruce said as he stepped into the kitchen. He had changed, and now looked clean and whole. His eyes had a haunted look as he sat down next to Tony. "Loosing control over Hulk is not pleasant."

Clint didn't reply, but looked apologetic. Thor, who'd had his eyes fixed on Clint, a muscle working in his jaw, turned his eyes on Bruce. His eyes softened noticeably.

"My family and I owe you a debt, doctor Banner, for aiding Loki. I thank you." Bruce shook his head.  
"Hardly, as it was my alter ego who nearly punched Loki to death. If the doctor Layla hadn't come - the shield medic - I'm not sure I could've saved him."

"I know it looked bad, but don't forget that Loki isn't human. He's stronger than you think. But no matter what, I am grateful to you. You will have aided his healing process grately." Thor replied, smiling. Then he frowned.

"Why did you loose control over friend Hulk? How did it happen?"

"When Loki attacked Natasha." Tony supplied helpfully. Natasha looked surprised, turning her attantion from scowling at Clint to looking at Bruce.  
Bruce avoided her eyes, starring down at the table instead.

"I know you could've handled it." he mumbled. "But.. I think my worries got the better off me. And when Loki pulled that knife to your throat, I couldn't surpress him."

"I'm sorry." Natasha said. "But actually, I got just the reaction that I wanted. So there's no need for you to feel bad."

Bruce looked up, starring at her, eyes wide in shock. As did the others.

"You manipulated Loki and Bruce, so that Hulk would come out?" asked Steve, his voice serious. "I wouldn't have thought that of you, agent Romanoff."

She shrugged. "It got at little bit out of hand. I never meant for Bruce to Hulk-out, only to give Loki the idea that he was in charge for a moment. How was I to know that he had a knife on him?" at this she looked at Thor, question in her eyes.

"Knifes are Loki chosen weapon. He has several hidden in his clothes, sealed with magic so only he can acces them. I knew he had one or more, but I had no idea you would offer yourself up as his captive!" the thunder god defended.

Tony shook his head. "You are all insane." he stated, looking at Natasha. "No more manipulating under my roof, got it? At least run it by us beforehand, k?"

Natasha nodded. "Promise."

"So.." Steve said, gaining her attention. "Did you get what you wanted? Did Loki's actions tell you anything more."

Natasha thought for a moment. "The source of his breakdown are the events on Asgard, him founding out who he really is. You were right, Bruce - he absolutely hates himself. Did you see his face when he transformed?"

"Don't think I'll ever forget it." Tony remarked, his eyes dark as he looked at Thor. The thunder god avoided their sympathic looks, focusing on Natasha and Bruce.

"Are there any hope of curing him from this madness?" Thor asked, his voice hopeful.

"Maybe there could've been, before he fell. But I'm afraid what ever happened to him in the Void, it did permarnent damage. He's not interessted to return to who he was." Bruce explained, and Thor's face fell. "That being said, I believe that he's extremely unstable now and that _can_ be helped. I don't think you'll ever get the brother, you once knew, back again. But given time and healing, I think Loki should be able to at least to escape the psychotic meltdowns he suffers from now."

Thor nodded, his eyes sad but his face determined. "I will aid him. It can be a part of his imprisonment and punishment, we can help him in Asgard."

"Also, Thor?" the god looked at Natasha. Her eyes were surprisingly kind. "I don't think Loki hates you and your mother just as much as he lets on. He despises your father, but when he thought that you had caused your mother pain, he went crazy." Thor took a deep breath.

"I have a hard time myself understanding the Allfathers actions in recards to Loki. There is always meaing behind what the Allfather does, but the meaning this time escapes me. In time, perhaps I'll know." he gave a weak smile. "But it gladens me to hear you say so. Mother has always loved Loki deeply, and his hatred would cause her great harm."

"Then why does he do it?" asked Steve, curious. Bruce frowned, a thoughtful look on his face.

"In this case, it's a defense mechanism. Loki hides behind hatred and anger, blaiming everyone else but himself for what has happened. I wouldn't be surprised if he blames the Chitauri for the failed attack on New York . He twists his own mistakes, to use them as a shield and a weapon at the same time."

"No kidding, he was a terrible leader." Tony said, shaking his head. "I mean, the glowstick of Destiny was his trumf card, the ultimate fallback. And he left it right here, in my tower, for Natasha, to pick up..." Tony's voice trailed off, a odd look settling on his face.

"Oh my _god_!" Tony shot out of his chair, diving for Thor, grabbing his arm and staring him straight in the eyes. "Quick, how many Infinity Stones did you say there are?"

"Six." Thor replied, and Tony let go of him and started pacing while he pulled his hair, groaning and having seemingly forgotten the others.  
"There are six stones. Why?" repeated Thor, causing Tony to stop up.

"One, the Tesseract, controls Space. Second, Reality. Third, Power.. what can the others do?" asked Tony, his voice urgent.

Thor looked unsure. "I'm not certain, it has been a long time since I was told anything about them.."

"Think, Thor!" Tony urged, his face desperate. "We only need three. You must remember!"

Thor fell silent, concentrating. "I believe.." he began slowly, "that the remaining three are Time..I think one was named Soul, which leaves the last.. Mind? Yes, Mind. The last three are Time, Soul and Mind."

Tony fell back into his chair, face in his hands, swearing.

"Talk to us Tony, what is it you've discovered?" asked Steve, a little annoyed and unsettle by the other mans antics. Tony let his hands fall down.

"Seriously guys? Mind! There is a Infinity Stone, that controls the _mind_. Doesn't that ring a bell for any of you?"

On que, they all looked at Clint who stared at Tony, mouth gaping. "Are you saying, that Loki's scepter is powered by an Infinity Stone?!" he asked, voice incredulous. "Was that how he controlled me?! The bastard used an Infinity Stone on me?"

"Positive. These stones represents the most fundamental parts of the Universe. I don't think you can just duplicate the ability to control others. It's an uniqe ability, just like traveling through space as the Tesseract. Thor, you told us this."

"So - " Natasha summarised, folding her hands in front of her. "- Loki had the Mind Gem. Where did he find it? As I understand, the stones are guarded, right Thor? You can't just pick it up when you are out walking.. Thor?"

They all looked at Thor, who had gone deadly pale. "By the Norns.." he whispered.

* * *

_You guys, thank you so much for your lovely reviews! They do inspire me, so keep them coming!_

_On other words, have you seen the Age of Ultron trailer? Daaamn. April 23, come to me! It's absolutely amazing - I get back home to Denmark after a two weeks roadtrip in Iceland JUST in time for the premiere. Talk about luck.  
_

_Cognitive recalibration, you all remember that one right? Just hit 'em hard in the head.  
_


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer:_

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

Chapter 8

_The darkness was overwhelming._

_He was hiding. It was so dark, that he couldn't even see his hands in front of him. He didn't know why he was hiding, but even though he couldn't even see himself, he felt exposed. He didn't breath, he didn't move. He didn't even know if he could move._

_'You have disappointed me, my son.'_

_The voice sounded in his head. 'I will find you and bring you pain like you have never known before.'_

_A bright flash of blue, of hands piercing his body, stripping him of his skin and flesh. And he screamed in silence, and he remembered why he couldn't see or speak or breath – he'd had his eyes scratched long ago, his lungs had been ripped from his body and his tongue; he'd ripped it out himself._

_'You are nothing. Nobody searches for nothing. You are alone.' He remained still as the voice disappeared, leaving him alone with nothing but the words ringing in his head._

_In the darkness, in a hole so deep he couldn't see himself let alone his enemies, he couldn't do anything but agree. He didn't breath and his lunges screamed for air. But he refused to give in. Instead, he dug deeper and deeper, so that the voice may never find him again. The only thing in his mind was that he had to bury himself deep beneath the Universe and hope the taunting voice would never, ever, find him again._

* * *

"Thanos is after the Infinity Stones."

Thors voice was deep, and grave. He stared at the table in front of him, his fisted hands turning white with the words.

"This is ill news. I will need to bring the Tesseract and Loki sceptre to Asgard as soon as possible. There the gems can be safe until the threat of Thanos has been fought off by Asgards armies. I will need to.."

Tony raised his hand, snapping his fingers to get Thors attention. "Hey! Yeah, don't think Fury will let you do that." the engineer informed, his voice sceptical. Thors face grew dark, as he stood up.

"Do you not understand what danger we are all in? If Fury keeps the gems from me, I will take them by force. Them being here, on Midgard, brings all humans at an immediate risk. They cannot remain here with Thanos on the move!"

Tony threw up his hands. "Hey, time out! I'm on your side, Point Break! The sooner we can get the weird stones off Earth the better, but that doesn't change the fact that Fury won't let you leave until he has what he wants."

"Do you think that you can keep them from me?" Thor asked, the thinly veiled threat in his voice quite clear. Steve stood up, his posture relaxed but his eyes focused and alarmed.

"Thor, calm down. We will help you. It is in Earth and all her inhabitants best interests that you get the stones back to Asgard as soon as possible. However, there is something I don't understand – what is Lokis part in all this? If Thanos wants the stones, how come Loki had the Mind Gem? Where did he find it?"

"I guess we'll have to wait and ask him when he wakes up." Natasha said, her eyes turning from Steve to Thor. "You know something." she inquired, looking at Thor. "I know you do. I saw Loki whisper to you just before he passed out. What was it?"

Thor hesitated, before turning his attention to Clint.

"Friend Barton – when you were under Lokis spell, you were freed when Natasha punched you hard in the head, is that correct understood of me?"

Clint nodded, his face growing dark with the memory. They hadn't actually talked about that yet, in the group. The others fell silent, as they waited for his reply

"Cognitive Recalibration. Knocks some sense into you." he said, voice curtly. He then frowned.

"Why do you ask?"

Thor looked devastated. "Before Loki fell unconscious, he whispered that to me - cognitive recalibration. I am sure. I fear that Thanos has Loki under the same spell as you were, only instead of the Mind Gem it is the Reality Gem. It would explain why he can't remember all these events correctly – Thanos is altering his memories, his reality. When friend Hulk -" Bruce shook his head at the name, a faint smile on his face "- hit Loki, it had the same effect as when Natasha hit you, friend Clint. It released him from the stones power, for a moment until he fell unconscious."

They all stared at him, in various states of disbelief and shock.

"No way, that's insane!" Clint spoke, standing up, leaning over the table, looking Thor in the eyes. The archers eyes were practically glowing with resentment. "What purpose would that even have? What would Thanos even want with a nut job like Loki? Where would he even have met Loki, didn't you say that Thanos was banished from the Universe?"

"The Void!" Natasha shot straight up in her chair, as the realisation hit her. "That's what Loki said, just before he grabbed me – 'He found me.' - he was talking about Thanos, I am sure!"

"Didn't you say Loki was terrified?" asked Steve, confusion in his voice. "If Loki is helping Thanos, why would he be afraid of him?"

"I am not so sure it's voluntarily." Natasha said darkly, as she looked at Thor. "Remember what Thor said about Thanos' daughters? How he seeks out and enslaves those he deems strong or expendable to his cause?" she looked at Steve. "What it that's what happened to Loki? What if Thanos found him in the Void? What if Thanos resuced Loki, only to enslave him and use him as a pawn?"

Thor looked positively horrified with the idea, while the rest of the avengers varied from Clint's doubtful expression to Steve's thoughtful.

"But -" Bruce said, speaking up "- didn't Thanos get the Reality Gem after Loki arrived here on earth? If Thanos only got it into his possession earlier this week, that can't be what controlled Loki."

Thor looked relived, and Natasha looked uncertain. "That doesn't explain why Loki said somebody found him in the Void." she pointed out, her expression doubtful.

"Thanos could've found him in the Void, even without the Reality Gem." reasoned Tony, tapping his finger on the table. "None of us knows anything about that place, but if I understand it correctly, the Void is another version of a black hole. Once you're in it, you can access it from another point of the universe – it bends. Say Thanos is still banished – he can't get back in, but he is able to reach into the Void because it is not a part of the Universe, it is beyond its walls. Wouldn't that be possible?" he ran a hand across his face, looking at Thor with a tired look.

The thunder god nodded. "Your understanding of the Void is correct. If Thanos has learned to reach into the Void, it is entirely possible that he can have found Loki. Though I dread to even think about it."

"So, Loki's been under the influence of the Reality Gem, making him remember differently – big deal. I can't exactly see why that even matters." Clint argued. Thor growled in his throat, but Clint continued unfased.

"It wasn't Thanos who attacked Earth – it was Loki. It wasn't Thanos who killed all those people, it was Loki. It wasn't Thanos that controlled me, it was Loki! Are all of your forgetting what he did?!"

Thor eyed Clint darkly, fingering slightly with his hammer. Steve sighed.

"We wont know for certain until Loki wakes up. But I think that you're getting your personal vendetta against Loki cloud your judgement, agent Barton." he said, his voice leaving no place for argument. "You've heard what Natasha and Thor has said, and we've all seen the interviews. You've seen Loki smash his hand to pieces, completely terrified of something we couldn't see, and still you claims that nothing has changed? A lot has changed since New York, and I'm beginning to get the feeling that we'll learn a lot more when Loki actually wakes up."

Clint didn't reply, he merely stood up and left the room. Natasha looked after him, her eyes worried but she didn't go up to follow him.

"He'll be fine." she reassured Steve. "It's difficult for him. He'll come around once his head is completely back in order."

"And I understand that." Steve replied, turning to Bruce. "Any idea when Loki will wake up?"

Bruce shrugged. "Hard to say. He heals faster than any one I've ever seen, but he is weak. It could be days or even weeks."

"So while we wait for him to come about, how 'bout we get to the other matter – the Infinity Stones currently here on Earth. I agree with Thor, I would much prefer to send them far far away as soon as possible." Tony said, earning a grateful smile from the god.

"I can take us to shield headquarters for you to meet Fury and ask him." Natasha said, standing up.

"I have a feeling it's a subject best handled face to face. Or, in this case, god to human."

* * *

Natasha had piloted the Quinjet to Washington DC the same night, to the shield headquaters, carrying Thor, Steve, Tony and herself. Bruce remained behind to look after Loki and Clint had disappeared. They had left him instructions to where they'd gone, and hoped the archer would either return to Stark Tower (or Avengers Tower as Tony had dubbed it on their flight) or meet up with them in DC (Tony and Thor didn't seem to understand that normal people without magic hammers and iron suits couldn't transport themselves several hundreds of miles in a matter of minutes).

After they had landed, Natasha had showed them in. The looks they got would've amused Tony, had it not been on such a serious matter. He looked around curiously. He, of course, knew everything about the headquaters (having poked around shields ridicously insecure systems when he had trouble sleeping or hiding from Pepper), but it was still impressive to see in real life. The sheer amount of people. Normally looking office women and men, carrying around their little sad briefcases. It was easy enough to spot the agents from actual office people. They didn't stop up and stare as the group of super heroes walked casually through the lobby.

Tony shot Thor a look through the corner of his eye. The god looked worried, and didn't seem to notice the amount of stares he was getting. Lucky chap.

"This way." Natasha let them to the elevator, once having explained to Thor that it would be considered rude to use Mjölnir to fly up to Fury's office. They all went in, and Natasha cleared their acces. The doors closed, shutting away the many staring eyes.

They rode the elevator in silence. When the door opened, Thor was the first to walk out, the others following closely behind.

"Well, this is a surprise." Fury's voice sounded as they strode into his office. He stood up, his back to them, overlooking the city. When the visitors stopped, he turned around. His expression was not very friendly.

"A pleasent one, I hope?" Steve replied, as they walked towards the shield director.

Fury snorted. "The remains to be seen. I have this feeling, that each time any of you are near me or my property, trouble follows you closely behind."

Tony could only nod to that, he had noticed a similar pattern. "Close, but no cigar." he replied with a smirk.

Fury croaked an eyebrow. "Thought not. What can I do for you? Did the medic I sent not do her job satisfactory?"

"She did." Thor answered, his voice tight. "Loki is not in any danger now. Banner is with him."

Fury barked out a laugh. "Banner? I would've thought you'd keep him a little further away from your brother after that incident, not make him nurse and caretaker."

"Bruce is nothing of the sorts, director. Bruce is our doctor, and most qualified to make sure nothing happens while Thor is here." Steve replied, nothing bothering to sound angry. Fury knew all this.

"Mhhmm." Fury nodded, looking at Thor. "And why are you here, Thor? Since it's a request that obviously couldn't be dealt with over the phone, I guess it's not good."

"Give me the Tesseract, and Loki's staff. I have to return them to Asgard." Thor said, his voice demanding. Tony almost slapped himself. They kept forgetting that Thor was a prince, and used to not having his orders questioned.

Fury stared at the asgardian prince, not backing down.

"That was not what we agreed." he remarked, voice dry.

"I am aware of that director, but things have changed. A powerful foe is after both the Tesseract and the staff – should they remain here on Midgard it will put you people at great risk."

Fury nodded, walking around his desk. "And who is this great foe, pray tell? One of you brothers friends?"  
Thor's gaze grew dark, and Fury noted the grave expressions of the other avengers.  
"His name is Thanos, and he is worse. Much worse." Thor replied.

"So, let me see if I understand this correctly." Fury summarised as he and the avengers stood in the elevator bringing to their destination.

"You believe, that an intergalactic warlord pulled Loki out of the Void, tortured him and forced him to go to Earth, to get the Tesseract whom this Thanos somehow knew was located on Earth. Thanos have then proceeded to use another of these infinity stones to mess with Loki's head, and sending him one a one way trip to insanity?" When Thor and the others nodded, Fury whistled.

"And here I hoped the reason for you visit was that you wanted me to pay your bills."

"It's on its way in the mail." Tony said. "I got Pepper to mail it. Didn't know how to do that, but I thought it would be delightfully old fashioned – you seem to like old. This elevator, what two years old? Come on Fury!"

Fury stared at him, and Tony stared back, smirking. Fury decided to ignore him as the elevator opened and he exited, the others following him.

"If what you think is true, I would want the staff or the Tesseract to remain on Earth for much longer. You sure Thanos won't come for Loki?"

"We doubt it." Natasha explained. "Thanos seems to mess with Loki's head from a great distance. What ever he tasked Loki to do, Loki failed. Right now, Loki's an abandoned solider, maybe a traitor. I'm sure Thanos would love to get his hands on him, but he can't reach him. Thanos wants the stones. Loki failed to get them, which means Thanos will only get another to go fetch them. They will only be safe in Asgard."

Fury turned to Thor. "So, if I give you the two stones, you'll take them to Asgard, but leave Loki on Earth?" he asked as they walked down the empty corridor.

The Thunder god nodded. "That was our agreement. I can't deny that I would much prefer to have him in Asgard where our mother could help him, but it will have to wait. He will remain here, as agreed."

"Good." they stopped in front of a locked door.  
"Fury, Nicholas J."  
"_Voice scan complete. Welcome director._"

The door swung open, and they entered.

"I wan't give you the Tesseract or the staff." Fury then said as he walked over to a container. He opened it, to reveal the Tesseract. Thor looked at him with a frown.

"But," Fury gently lifted the Tesseract out of its holder into a transport case. "Should it simple vanish, there isn't much I can do about it." the director offered the case to Thor, who accepted with a small smile.  
Fury walked further down, and opened another cabinet, the avengers following him. They expected to see the staff, but the cabinet was empty.

"Where is it?" asked Tony. "Where's the staff?"  
Fury swore, and quickly dialed a number. "Agent Hill? Washington, now!" he barked, slamming the cabinet shut again, before walking quickly towards the door.

"Where is Loki's staff? Have you lost it?!" Thor exclaimed, anger in his voice as he walked quickly up besides the director.

"I have not lost anything!" Fury barked, not looking back at Thor. "It's been stolen."

"Great." Tony muttered as he, Steve and Nastasha followed. "I thought only one super villian was a little too easy."

* * *

Bruce kept a close eye on Loki. The god looked like death, but in reality Bruce knew he was healing, and healing fast. The speed worried him. He knew Thor and Loki was close in invincible to what humans would describe as deathly wounds. But it had to take a massive toll on the gods body, no matter his abilities. Or else he wouldn't be still like this. There had been absolutely no sign of consciousness the entire time the others had been away. Bruce hoped nothing would happen until Thor got back. He could deal with an unconscious Loki, but a mad, terrified, screaming god was not on his list of personal favorites.

"Bruce? Oh my god, Bruce, what happened?!"

He looked up, to find Pepper in the doorway. She looked shocked, and yet not as shocked as he would've expected.  
"Loki and Hulk had a disagreement." he replied tightly, before offering he a weak smile. "He's unconscious."

Pepper cautiously walked into the room, towards the bed and Bruce who was in the middle of changing his bandages.  
"Oh my lord.." she whispered. "Is he alive?"

"Oh yes. Out like a light, but alive."

Pepper didn't respond, she merely looked at the pained expression of the unconscious Loki.

Bruce worked on, not really sure what to say.

"Where's Tony?" Pepper then asked, looking at the doctor.

"DC." Bruce replied, finishing the bandage. "He, Thor, Steve and Nastasha went to see Fury."

"And the last one – mr. Barton?"

"Somewhere in the city. He needed a break from asgardians. He'll be back."

She nodded and watched Bruce pack up his things. As Bruce turned his back, she returned her gaze to Loki's face. The skin was pale an bruised. She could see the veins stand blue against the whiteness. She froze. Blue eyes stared right back in her own. Loki was awake. She opened her mouth to alert Bruce, but then stopped. This man in front of her, he was a terrorist. A murderer. He'd tried to kill Tony. To conquer her home plant. He was insane, unstable. She'd seen him destroy his own hand, laughing like maniac.

"Bruce.." the name sounded oddly distant in her own ears. She vaguely registered Bruce turning his attention to her and the patient. She stared at Loki, and he stared back. Pepper knew her face was shocked, perhaps even afraid. Which was why she couldn't comprehend why Loki looked completely and utterly terrified.

* * *

_I feared Thor's demand would be too OOC, but I actually believes that he would slip into his old ways (minus the recklessness and arrogance) when a situation is serious enough. He is, after all, a trained soldier and a leader of his people._

_I'm so sorry I completely disappeared on you guys. Told you updates would be irregular.  
I hope the wait haven't been too long. I ran into some stress/breakdown problems a few months ago which caused me to push everything else away. But, my energy is slowly returning now and I'm back to writing! Hurray! I didn't realize how much I missed it._

_I can't tell how long until next chapter will be posted. But as always, your lovely reviews and faves sure helps the process :)_


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer:

I own nothing; all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 9**

"The staff has been stolen. By a rouge shield agent no doubt. Not really a surprise, I mean. A magic staff that allows you to control others, sure who wouldn't want that. At least the didn't take the Tesseract. Then again, the things that came through the last portal doesn't really makes you wanna see what's on the other side of the universe.."

"Tony." Steve said tiredly. "Shut up."

Tony looked at the captain, ready with a comeback but the words died on his lips. Steve didn't look at him, he was looking at Thor.

Thor, who hadn't let go of the Tesseract for one second since he realized that the mind gem was gone. Tony decided it was time to get his priorities in order.

"Hey, big guy?" Thor looked at his friend, a defeated look in his eyes. "How bad is this?"

"It depends on many things." Thor answered after a brief pause. "The Mind Gem is dangerous, but in a manner of speaking it's not the most dangerous of the stones. It can't rip through space, time and reality."

"Thor is right." Natasha added. "The perpetrator is most likely a rouge shield agent. Their motives are with little doubt less than legal but at least they can only control others."

"We can contain the damage to Midgard so far. My guess is that whoever has taken it will lay low for the time being, and not use it for obvious displays. That would give them away, and if it's a shield agent the person will know how to wield it." Thor gave Fury a stern look.

"I thought you would keep the stones safe! You gave me your word!"

Fury didn't respond, which spoke volumes of the gravity of his failure. The stones had been his responsibility.

"Well, hopefully Asgard wont blame us too much seeing as they themselves seems to have bit of trouble keeping the stones safe." Tony sighed. Steve and Natasha both nodded their agreement.

"If anyone will be blamed, it'll be me." Thor looked at the Tesseract and then at Fury. "I'll take the space stone with me. It is not to leave my sight."

"I'll keep the World Security Council off your back." Fury replied, hands folded behind his back. "We'll conceal the location of the Tesseract until it is completely off the planet."

"Very well." Thor agreed. "Friend Stark, will you be comfortable with the Tesseract under your roof once again?"

"I admit, last time was not a success. But, seeing as my technology far outrank shields, I can't really decline." Tony replied with a smile. Thor nodded his thanks, a small smile on his lips. "Thank you my friend. Your hospitality knows little bounds."

Tony waved the gods praise away, though a little halfheartedly. Natasha shook her head, and Steve smiled before he was disrupted by a small noise from his pocket. He drew out a phone - Tony stared at the at least one year old model - "Excuse me." Steve said, before answering the phone. "Yes?"

"That model is way too old." Tony huffed, staring at the devise the poorly hidden disgust. Natasha gave him a hard look. "Some people are happy with what they have, Stark."

Before Tony could reply, Steve hung up and turned his attention to his team members.

"We should get back to New York." he said, putting the phone away. "That was Banner. Loki has awoken."

"Any problems?" asked Tony cautiously. Thor looked happier than he had all morning, but that happiness soon disappeared in favour of worry.

"In a way. Banner says he needs you." Steve said, looking at Thor who immediately tensed. "Apparently Loki is having another break down."

* * *

Tony, Steve and Natasha flew back to New York in the Quinjet. Thor had flat out left shield headquarters like a bullet from a gun, before flying of with the aid of his hammer. Tony now held the Tesseract in its confinement. They had convinced Thor to let them transport it, as the three of them would be more cable of handling a situation should someone try and steal it. Thor had agreed, distressed, before disappearing.

Thor landed on the helipad of Stark Tower not many moments later, mjølner faithfully resuming its post by his side. He quickly entered the tower, ignoring the voice from the ceiling welcoming him back. He went straight to Loki's chambers, opening the door expecting the worse.

Therefore, when he found doctor Banner sitting calmly in a chair, a worried expression firmly in place, Thor allowed himself to breath a little easier.

"Lady Pepper?" he asked, surprised, when he saw her. She sat on the floor, back to him and Bruce. She looked over her shoulder.

"Thor! Oh, thank god.." she said, her voice strained. Thor frowned. "Are you hurt, lady Pepper?" he asked concerned, stepping forward. He doubted it, Bruce wouldn't be so calm if that was the case. But still, she looked greatly uncomfortable. When he stepped closer he could se why.

Loki sat behind Pepper, still in the clothes they'd changed him into after the Hulk attack. Loki had a firm grip on one of Peppers arms. Her other hand was carefully placed on his shoulder, stroking it in a slow soothing pace. The position looked uncomfortable, but Thor could see why Pepper hadn't moved despite her obvious discomfort.

Loki was crying. His breath was too quick and shallow, and he was shaking. The blanket from the bed had fallen around him and Pepper, forgotten. Thor looked back at Pepper, his expression soft.

"What has occured? Are you hurt?" he asked lowly, as Pepper continued to comfort the terrified god who sat beside her.

"Bruce and I were talking." she explained. "And he woke up. He looked so scared, Thor. He was completely terrified. He tried to run, but only managed to fall out of the bed. In the motion he grabbed my arm, never once letting go. He started to cry, and to shake. I didn't know what to do, so I tried to calm him down." she explained as she continued the slow comforting motion.

"Bruce called Steve. I told him not to tell Tony I was here, he would only make a mess."

Thor nodded. "He worries for you." he said, not knowing if that was what needed to be said.

Pepper smiled faintly. "I know. But he can be reckless when he's worried, and we don't need Iron Man coming bursting through the door right now." She grimaced.

"You think you can get him to release my arm?"

Thor pushed the bed out of the way, kneeling down at Loki's other side. His face showed calm, but his thoughts were not. He hadn't seen Loki like this for many hundreds of years. It reminded him of when they were children. Loki would sometimes get scared at night, and go seek out Thor or his mother. Thor could only guess that was why he'd taken hold of Pepper. Loki was too scared to actually understand what was going on around him. Thor had seen him like this before, when he was very small. A lot had happened since their childhood, unforgivable actions done by both brothers.

Thor had little hope for Loki redemption, but even if his brother had turned evil and was helping Thanos - willing or unwilling - Thor still wanted to protect him.

Thor gently placed his big hand on Loki's forearm. "_Loki_." he said, his voice soft. "_Loki, se på mig_." Loki didn't look, but his hold on Peppers arm grew tighter and she hissed in pain. Thor remained calm. He could rip Loki away from her, but it could her arm and wouldn't do any good for Loki's condition.

"_Rolig broder, jeg er her._" Thor tried to remember what he'd said when he was little and tried to comfort his brother. It all came rushing back to him when a fresh stream of tears emerged from Loki's eyes. Thor gently wiped them away.

"You are safe brother. There is nothing here that can harm you."

Loki took a shivering breath, tearing his gaze from the floor to look Thor in the eyes. His eyes were wide and his lips trembled.

"_Þórr_?" Loki's voice sounded hoarse and broken.

Thor gave him a reassuring smile. "It is I brother. You are safe." Thor said gently, moving his hand to Loki's and carefully stared to release their iron grip from Pepper.

Loki stared at him, the tears still flowing from his eyes. Angry red spots had appeared on his skin, and his breathing was still uneven and too quickly.

"I am not safe." Loki replied, unconsciously allowing Thor to release his hand from Peppers arm. When the god lost his grip Pepper drew back and stood up with a groan of pain as blood rushed back into her legs and arm.

Loki folded his arms around himself, as if to control his trembling hands. Blood had started to drip from his nose as his shallow breathing continued. "I'm not safe.." he whispered to himself. "_Not safe, not safe, not safe.._" he continued to repeat to himself, ignoring Thor.

The thunder god looked at Pepper, lost. He was no doctor or a healer. She looked equally scared, and Thor felt certain his facial expression mirrored hers.

Thor then stood up, and removed his cape. He carefully wrapped the fabric around Loki's shaking form. Loki didn't fight him, which worried Thor. His brother sighed and for a brief moment he breathed normally. Thor moved up besides him, and put his arms around his brother, mindful of his injuries, pulling him close just as when they were kids and Loki was scared. They sat like that for many minutes, it felt like hours but Thor knew it couldn't have been longer than perhaps a quarter of an hour.

He felt Loki slowly stop shaking. The nose bleed had stopped, but his breath was still uneven. But, it helped. Thor rested his head against Loki's dark hair, his strong arms keeping his injured brother safe. When Thor looked up again, Pepper had disappeared. He hadn't even noticed her leave.

"_Thor_?" at the sound of his name, faintly whispered from somewhere beneath his cape, Thor looked down. "Yes brother?"

Loki licked his dry lips, tasting his blood. His eyes were dull once again, exhausted. "Tell me, _brother_." Loki breathed out the last word as an insult, but Thor ignored it. The panic attack had left Loki vulnerable and he attempted to cover his shame under his usual rudeness.

Loki fell silent, staring into space. For a moment Thor thought he'd fallen asleep. Then Loki spoke again.

"Do you feel like yourself?" Loki asked suddenly, his voice fragile. Thor felt surprised at the question.

"Of course." he answered without hesitation. He couldn't see the dark look in Loki's eyes at his swift response. When Loki didn't reply, Thor looked down.

"Don't you?" he asked carefully.

Loki didn't look up. He felt the pressure in his head, the nauseating feeling in the very foundations of his being. "No." he whispered. "How can I when everything has been moved around..."

The trembling returned, and Thor shifted so he could look at Loki's face. The thunder god didn't show it, but Loki's words scared him. He looked directly in his brothers eyes, seeking a lie and finding none.

"What do you mean brother? What has been moved around?"

"My memories.." Loki replied hoarsely. "My memories, they are wrong! I remember too much or nothing at all!" He bowed his head, to avoid Thor's pitiful stare. "_He_ broke in, and moved everything.."

"Who? Thanos?" Thor pressed for an answer, his hold around Loki tightning, but the younger god had reached his limit as his eyes closed and he didn't respond. Thor remained seated beside his brother, his arms wrapped around him, thoughts running wild.

He felt more scared than he had for centuries.

* * *

When the Quinjet landed on Stark Tower, Tony was relieved to find that the building was still standing. However that relief went out the window when they walked into the living room, and found Bruce examining Peppers arm.

"Pepper!" Tony exclaimed, running to her. Her and Bruce looked up when the billionaire stopped in front of them, his mouth hanging open.

"It's nothing." Pepper assured her boyfriend, and he shot her a look that told her that he didn't buy it.

"What happened?" asked Steve, having caught up to the others. Natasha came behind him, carrying the Tesseract which she carefully placed on the livingroom table before turning her attention to the others and the injured Pepper.

"Loki, though not in the way you think!" Bruce quickly added when Tony started to blow up, rage flashing in his eys.

"Then what in the hell happened? Why is Pepper hurt? Pepper, why are you here! It's dangerous! Did Loki attack you?" Tony demanded angrily.

"No, he didn't." Pepper replied calmly, as Bruce finish his examination of her arm.

"No damage. You'll get a bruise though." he said and moved away from the sofa, allowing Tony to take his place so the genius could inspect his girlfriends arm.

The angry red and purple bruise of a tight grib could already be seen on her lower arm. Tony's face grew dark.

"Loki did this?" asked Steve, and Pepper nodded.

"Not knowingly, I might add. He was too terrified to even speak or walk, so he reached out to the nearest holding point which unfortunately was me. I couldn't get him to release me, so I tried to calm him instead."

The others stared at Pepper with wide eyes, Tonys mouth snapping back up. "You WHAT?!"

"That was very dangerous ms. Potts." Steve added while Tony looked like he was having a panic attack.

"It's not like I enjoyed it, but what choice did I have? And by the way - Bruce was there, I couldn't very well express distress or Hulk might've come out to finish Loki off!" Pepper quickly looked apologetic at Bruce, who smiled at her reassuringly.

"That's true." he confirmed. "I didn't want to leave Pepper - or Loki for that matter - alone, but it took some effort to keep the other guy in check. Had Pepper been in obvious trouble.." Bruce shook his head. "I don't want to think about it."

"And Thor arrived not long after. I think I only sat with Loki for 20-25 minutes." Pepper added.

"25 minutes is too long for you to sit with a immortal maniac." Tony remarked, eyeing her with an expression saying that he'd finally decided Pepper hadn't suffered any great harm.

Pepper rubbed her abused arm, thinking. "He didn't look like maniac, then." she responded, looking at Steve. "He was absolutely, and utterly terrified. He didn't make a sound, but he was crying, and shaking. His breathing was so shallow there were times I thought he would pass out."

The others shared a look when a door opened and Clint walked in.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked the group around the sofa.

Tony shot straight up. "What are we doing? This is my tower, cupid! What are you doing here, I thought you'd stormed off to god knows where?"

"I didn't. I've been monitoring the ER." Clint replied.

"And you didn't bother telling us?" demanded Natasha, a disapproving look in her eyes. "We thought Bruce was alone with Loki. A heads up had been nice."

Clint merely shrugged. "Bruce has proven on many occasions that he's more than able to handle Loki."

"And when Loki attacked Pepper? -" "He didn't attack me, Tony." "-why didn't you help her?" asked Tony darkly.

"I was going to." Clint informed, looking a little offened at the suggestion that he'd left Pepper and Bruce alone without help. "But I've seen more than my fair share of anxiety attacks and I am more than able to recognize one. Loki's freak out was a panic or anxiety attack. A serious one, I agree. I couldn't do anything for him. Besides, he visibly calmed after taking a hold on Pepper. I saw Bruce call Cap, and decided to stay put. I figured a thunder god wouldn't spend much time traveling across the country. You know, speed of lightning?"

"Everything okay then? Thor doesn't need help?" asked Steve.

"Guess that depends on the definition. But Loki isn't bawling his eyes out any more if that's what you're asking. Thor managed to snap him out of it." Clint replied in a bored voice. Then he frowned. "Actually, that's why I came down. There's something you should see. Jarvis recorded the entire scene, and there's something I believe you should hear."

"Jarvis, screen!" Tony ordered out loud.

"_Certainly, sir._" a screen appeared in front the sofa. "_I've taken the liberty to forward the recordings, mr. Barton, to your desired moment._"

The image showed Thor sitting besides Loki. It moved at slow pace, Thor speaking to calm his brother.

"Isn't it a little too private for us to spy on?" asked Pepper worriedly when they watched Thor take off his cape and arrange it around Loki's shaking form, but she was shushed by Tony who leaned forward, listening intently.

_"Do you feel like yourself?" they heard Loki ask carefully. Thor immediately replied, and they all saw the dark look in Loki's eyes. The brief hatred before it disappeared again. _

_"Don't you?" Thor then asked carefully, almost as if he knew he'd answered his brothers question too quickly and too sure of himself - as usual. Loki shook lightly on his head, his dark hair clinging to his sweat covered brow. _"_How can I when.. when everything has been moved._"

They watched as Thor grew visibly worried, though he tried to hide it. The large man shifted himself, and lifted Loki's head so he could look him in the eyes.

_"What do you mean brother? What has been moved around?"_ _Thor asked, his voice urgent. "My memories.." they heard Loki respond, his voice very small. "My memories, they are wrong! I remember too much or nothing at all!" Loki moved away from Thor. "He broke in, and moved everything. I can't find anything.."_

They heard Thor inquire about Thanos, but Loki had closed his eyes once again, resting against his brother. Thor looked lost as he sat beside his brother.

"Wow." said Tony. "Well, that clears it up - Thanos has pulled some weird mind crap on Loki's head, making him remember certain occasions wrong."

"Spooky action at a distance." Bruce said, rubbing his forehead.

"Ya think?" said Clint, pausing the footage.

"Now, the question is why." said Steve, looking at his team with folded arms and a serious expression. "We are as good as sure that Loki acts under Thanos orders, that Loki attacked Earth because Thanos wanted the space gem. Thanos gave Loki the mind gem in order to accomblish this, but Loki failed, loosing both infitity stones. Thanos cannot be pleased with this, and is most likely punishing Loki from where ever he is. But, if he keeps this up - itsn't there a possibilty he'll cause permament damage to Loki's head?"

" 'fraid that's already happened." Clint remarked.

"We've run over this before." Bruce spoke up. "Loki's selfhatred and hatred of Thor and Asgard are without a doubt being fueled by Thanos. The question is, why? Why not kill Loki? Get him out of the way?"

"Thanos may still need Loki." Tony pointed out. "But not with his sanity intact."

* * *

**Translations**

Se på mig - look at me. (Danish)

Rolig broder, jeg er her. - Easy/keep calm brother, I am here. (Danish)

Þórr - Thor (Icelandic)

* * *

_A quick update! You deserve it, for me bailing on you for two months. I can't believe it's only a little more than a month until Age of Ultron! 23 April, you are a beacon of hope!_

_I don't think I'll be able to update much in April, unless AoU blows me completely into fangirl mode. I'll be in Iceland most of April, and then it's my birthday and other peoples birthday and April is basically filled up with awesome events that doesn't allow much time to write. _

_Please review - I'll love you forever! or, at least for a few days!_


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer:

I own nothing; all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 10**

_Thor knew he had a difficult decision to make. As he watched Loki, completely oblivious to his surroundings, it became clear just how much Thor was needed on Midgard. Fury hadn't honoured their agreement by letting the staff go missing. But even so, Thor had to honour their agreement of keeping Loki a prisoner in the human world. He had to. But, in order to do that, he had to leave Loki on Midgard when he transported the Tesseract back to Asgard._

The thought of leaving Loki worried him greatly. His brothers sanity hang by a loose thread and there was no telling how long he'd yet to fall before all of this was over. Thor shifted, and gently lifted Loki from the cold floor. Still draped in his cape, Thor placed him back on the bed before exiting the room. As Thor watched his brother, he felt greatly divided. He loved Loki and the news that the events on Midgard perhaps weren't entirely the trickster's fault, Thor still couldn't find it in his heart to forgive his brother. He knew Loki's strength, both physical and mental. He didn't understand what Bruce meant when he talked about mental disorders and illnesses. They didn't have those terms in Asgard. Asgardians were strong, both in body and mind. But, Thor reminded himself, Loki wasn't a asgardian. As much as Thor kept forgetting it, his brother was a jotun. And Loki had killed many innocents, both on Midgard and Jotunheim. That could never be forgiven. The doubt plauged Thor. Were Loki under Thanos control, or not? Loki had manipulated the Jotuns to attack Asgard. Thor had to entertain the possibility that it also be the case now.

"I'll return soon, brother." Thor said, leaving the room. He walked to the living room, hoping to find the other avengers.

When Thor arrived at the living room, the others conversation stilled. Nobody said anything as the god lifted sat down in the sofa.

"He's lost consciousness again." Thor informed Bruce, who nodded.

"Makes sense. He's still healing, and the panic attack would've taken a lot of his energy."

Thor looked at the others, noticing that the archer had returned.

"Friend Clint." Thor nodded to the agent, who returned the greeting. "When did you return? I did not see you when I arrived some hours ago."

"He never left." Tony informed dryly. "He monitored Loki and Bruce, and forgot tell us about it."

Thor looked surprised, but then he smiled. "I give you thanks. I know it is not easy for you to be around my brother."

"Hence why I chose to watch through surveillance." Clint said, eying Tony who shrugged.

Thor looked bewildered between the two, then turning his gaze to Steve for an explanation. Steve sighed.

"Tony believes Clint should've interfered when Loki took hold of Pepper." the captain explained. Understanding dawned on Thor's face, and he turned to Tony.

"While I understand why you feel this way, my friend, it did make all the difference until I got here." Thor explained, turning to Pepper.

"I hope you haven't been harmed, lady Pepper." he said, concerned.

"Just Pepper. And no, it's just a bruise. No harm done." she reasured him, smiling.

"That gladdens me. The grip of a jotun can be very dangerous but it seems Loki, even in his unstable state of mind, still manages to keep his powers well hidden beneath many layers of magic."

"Pepper has a bruise in the shape of a hand on her arm! - Loki's hand." Tony interrupted, anger in his voice. "If Loki's using his magic to keep his strength hidden, why was she hurt?"

"You misunderstand me!" Thor exclaimed, forgetting once again how little his mortal friends knew of the rest of the universe. "I'm not talking powers such as strength. Loki is a jotun, in your word a frost giant. The Jotuns have a unique skin, due to the harsh environment of their planet. If your touched by a Jotun, it will burn your skin of your flesh. Their very touch is freezing, their skin many degrees below that of zero. Had Loki lost control over his mirage, he could've caused lady, sorry, Pepper severe injury."

The others had been silent during Thor's explanation. Pepper had paled when Thor explained just how close she'd been to getting her skin burned off.

"See!" Tony bit out. "He is dangerous, even when you think he isn't!"

"Stop it, Tony!" Pepper snapped, her professional attitude slipping back into place.

Thor looked troubled by having caused a rift between the two. He shifted nervously, until Pepper looked at him, smiling reassuringly.

"I admit, had I know of the danger, I might've asked Bruce for help. But, I didn't and nothing happened. Now we all know, so that should limit the danger considerably. And Thor," Pepper added, her voice curious. "Bruce was right. He did calm down when he touched me. Why?"

"Most likely because of your light hair, and the fact that you are female." Thor explained. "Loki's always had a strong bond with our mother, who if I might say it, have similar hair colour to yours. In his deluded state of mind he might have thought you were her."

"Sounds likely." Bruce added. "IF Thanos is feeding him nightmares and messing with his head, it would be a natural reaction for Loki to look for somebody whom he feels safe around. And, if I might add - it would seem that for all the two of you have been through, he still feels safe around you Thor. Or else he wouldn't have let go of Pepper."

To their surprise, Thor didn't smile at Bruce's words. Instead he looked worried.

"Is there a problem?" asked Steve, noticing Thor's gaze to the Tesseract.

"I need to bring the Tesseract back to Asgard. Your director have showed me that the stones are not safe here. I will use the Tesseract to open a portal to Asgard, allowing me to bring it home."

The others nodded their understanding. The fact that shield had lost the mind gem was more than unsettling, and they understood Thor's desire to bring the space gem to safety.

"So what's the problem?" asked Clint. "Light it up, and get on with it."

"Loki." Thor explained. "I have to leave him here. He is, as we agreed, your prisoner."

The others could see Thor's dilemma. He had to perform his duty and bring the Tesseract home, but he was Loki's brother and leaving him when he was this unstable and injured seemed unthinkable for the loving thunder god.

"I'm not asking you to find a solution for me. I have to do my duty to my realm and my king." Thor said, with conviction but they could all see the doubt in his eyes.

"No one's asking you to like it Thor." Steve reminded, sitting down beside the god. "Just because you feel doubt, doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. The hard actions are often the correct." Thor looked at the soldier, the only one of the Avengers who might have some idea of the trouble Thor was facing. Following orders, or following his heart.

"Besides," Natasha added. "Isn't it possible that you can ask for help in Asgard, in regards to Loki? If we could stop him from getting these panic-anxiety-rage attacks, that would be great."

"I have thought about that myself." Thor confessed. He looked at Tony. "Are you fine with my brother staying here? I'll chain him again, so he can't use magic or cause harm."

"Funny how that doesn't really seems to work." Tony pointed out, but then he dropped his head with a sigh. "Look Thor. This is important to you, and just like you doesn't have to like that you have to get back to Asgard, I don't have to like having Loki here while you're away. It's just the way it is. And who knows, maybe I'll finally get a chance to ask the maniac about his magic."

"Don't get your hopes up." Bruce noted. "He's even further away now than the last time you spoke."

"And at that time he threw me through a window. You know what, the chains sounds like a really good idea." Tony added, as Pepper shook her head.

"If you are sure, then I'll depart for Asgard right away." Thor said, his heart heavy.

* * *

Thor went to see Loki, but the young god was still out cold when he arrived at the ER. The others had followed Thor, and watched him as he gently placed the magic chains around Loki's slim wrists again. Thor let the cape be, and took to simply look at Loki.

"Please tell him, when he wakes, that I'll return as soon as possible." Thor asked, and both Bruce and Steve nodded. Nobody said anything about it, but they all felt certain that should Loki wake before Thor managed to return, it would most likely cause trouble. Maybe even the dangerous kind.

"The quicker you leave, the sooner you return." reminded Clint. Thor nodded.

"Behave, brother. I'll return as soon as possible." with that, Thor left without looking back, carrying the Tesseract with him.

"Jarvis. We'll be seeing Thor off, keep an eye on this one, will you?"

"_Certainly sir._" the AI replied, as they walked to the helipad.

Thor took position, holding the Tesseract up in front of him. They sky was grey, and Thor looked at the bright blue cube with poorly hidden resentment.

"Problem?" asked Tony, suddenly worried.

"No my friend. It's merely been a while since I or anybody - besides Loki - have used other kinds of intergalactic travel than the Bifrost. I have to say, I prefer the old ways." Thor reassured them, before taking a deep breath. He looked up, and turned the handle of the container. The Tesseract flared up, and Thor shone with a blue light before seemingly disappearing up into thin air. The gathered heroes stared. It was the first time they'd seen the cube in action since the attack.

"No portal." Tony noted, mostly to himself. "Seems to be different ways to intergalactic travel."

"Fascinating." said Steve, turning around to face the others. "But now with Thor away, we need some sort of plan to watch out for Loki. We all have our different lives and none of you should have to put them on hold." at this he looked at Tony and Pepper.

Natasha and Clint stepped forward in sync. "We've been assigned to watch over Loki whilst he's on Earth." Clint informed. "And to be honest, I feel better when I know exactly where the bastard is." Steve nodded his thanks, turning to Bruce. The doctor shrugged. "I don't have to be anywhere." Bruce informed. "Here is as good as any place."

"Pepper and I kinda live here, so yeah."

"I'll keep an eye on Loki tonight, and then we'll work out a plan tomorrow on how we best keep the population of New York safe."

"Roger that! Bruce, you are with me" Tony said, clapping his hands together. "We have a hot date, the topic magic and intergalactic travel. You, me, the lab - now!"

"No." Pepper injected. "Sleep, now." her voice leaving little room to argue. Tony opened his mouth to protest, but at the same time Bruce yawned. Tony's face fell.

"Sorry." Bruce said, giving Tony a apologetic smile. "It's been quite a busy day. I could use some sleep."

They all said their goodnights and went to their assigned room while Steve went to the ER to keep an watchful eye on Loki. The soldier sat beside the god, reading as the hours went on. Loki showed no signs of waking and the night went without incidents. The room had begun to brighten when Steve closed his book, and watched his clock. 5.46. The others would soon be up, or so he hoped. He ran a hand across his face, stifling a yawn.

He didn't know what'd he'd expected from the alien, but for Loki to sleep through the night without trying to kill himself or others seemed a little out of character given the events of the past days. He remembered Bruce saying that Loki most like had tired himself out completely. His seemed to be healing slower too, Steve noted with some worry. That couldn't be a good sign. The time went on, and an hour later Steve heard a knock on the door. The captain turned around to find Natasha in the door.

"Morning." She said. "Any trouble?"

Steve shook his head. "None." she nodded.

"I thought as much, he looked completely done yesterday and to be honest no better today. How about we let Jarvis keep an eye out for him, and get some breakfast in you?"

Steve smiled. "Coffee sounds good." he said, standing up. "Jarvis, you'll be watching him and alert us should there be any change in his condition. Any at all."

"_I will mr. Rogers. Breakfast's ready, and the rest of the team is heading for the kitchens._" the AI informed as Steve and Natasha left the ER to go join the others.

"Morning." Steve said as he and Natasha entered the kitchen. The rest of the team were already in different states of eating breakfast. Natasha poured Steve a cup of coffee before heading back to her seat beside Clint. The archer looked well rested, and in better spirits than he had the day before. Obvious the sleep had done him so good. He and Natasha spoke lowly together, no doubt sharing some shield intel. Steve went to sit beside Bruce, who were pouring himself oatmeal.

"Bruce, I have waffles! Pancakes! Freshly baked bread! Bacon! Why are you eating that?" Tony yelled from behind the counter and appeared with what looked like orange juice in hand.

"Oats' just fine." Bruce replied. "They are good for brain work."

"Toss some of those pancakes to me!" yelled Clint, raising his plate. Tony flipped the frying pan, and a second later the pancakes landed gracefully on Clint's outstretched plate. The others goggled at Tony, who smirked.

"What? I shoot missiles, don't you think I know how to aim?"

"As long as you didn't cook them." Clint replied. "Pepper told me that is not one of your strongest games."

"You wound me. But no, they are heated. I get food delivered." Tony replied, joining Steve and Bruce with his own stack of pancakes. "Just help yourself cap."

They all ate in comfortable silence. When the last plate had mysteriously disappeared trough a door (Tony claimed he had no idea what happened to the dishes) they all turned to Steve.

"Nat told me it was a quiet night?" Clint broke the ice, jumping to the topic. Steve nodded.

"He didn't even move. Small blessings I guess." he replied, draining the cup of strong coffee in his hand.

"Now what?" asked Natasha. "We simply guard him until Thor returns?"

"Don't know about you, but I fear our thunder god doesn't have the best grasp on earth time vs asgard time. It could be days, weeks before he returns. If we should be so unfortunate for Loki to wake before Thor returns, we should try and I don't know, fix the problems in his head?" Tony said.

"How? The only we know to work against the infinity stones is a hard blow to the head. We can't keep hitting him -" "works for me." "- shut up Clint. As I said, we can't keep hitting him. We have to find another way to cancel out the reality stones effect on Loki." said Natasha.

"I guess we can try and make something." said Tony, looking at Bruce with a frown. "But it''ll demand some sort of collaboration with Loki and I don't think he's a very big fan of us. You know, we've kicked his ass. Multiple times, I might add."

"He's a prisoner, he doesn't get an opinion." Steve said matter of factly. "It is our duty to keep him safe until Thor gets back. That's the deal. Once Fury decides Loki can't tell him more about the invasion, we get to ship Loki back to Asgard."

"I'm not sure what Fury or the world council or who ever is giving the orders, are expecting to learn from Loki. It'll take some heavy therapy to set his head straight, and as Bruce said yesterday - Loki might not be interested in returning to who he once was."

* * *

When Loki opened his eyes, he immediately wished he hadn't. The brightness of the human artificial lights felt like daggers to his eyes, piercing his brain. The pain exploded and he groaned. He heard a voice speak, but the words meaning escaped him. Not a moment later he heard the sound of the door opening.

It would seem the voice of Starks invinsible servant had called for his caretakers. Loki kept his eyes closed, hoping they would go away.

"You awake?" a voice much closer to him than the first sounded. It wasn't Thor. Loki would've felt relieved if it wasn't for the fact that it meant one of the mortals saw him in this pityful state.  
Loki ignoreed the voice, hoping they would just leave him. He had no idea why he was in this kind of pain, other than he had a vague memory of attacking one of the mortals. What had happened since were a blur.

"Jarvis said you just opened your eyes a few moments ago." the voice persisted.

_Jarvis_. Loki remembered the name in passing. It would seem they at least had left him alone after his failed attempt of escape.

"Loki!" the voice said, louder. The noise caused Loki to wince in pain. His head felt like it was splitting in two.

"Don't bother. He prefers to act like a child." a second voice said. Loki felt anger flare through him. How _dared_ they!

With a great effort he forced his eyes open. Once again the light in the room, all of which seemed to be directed at him, caused pain to rip through his skull. He attempted to lift his hand, to shield of the light source but found it chanined. Again.

Lovely, he had forgotten about the chains.

"Jarvis, dim the lights please." said the voice and the painful brightness disappeared. Loki blinked slowly, allowing his eyes to ajust to the light. When finally able to see who was in the room with he, he felt his eyes narrow in disgust.

The humans. With no sign of Thor. The iced soldier stood right beside him, the redhead on the other side of what ever contraption he had been abandoned on.

The other kept their distance, the doctor standing furthes away. Loki felt himself smirk. It amused him how the doctor feared his very presence. Loki looked at each of the mortals in turn, before turning his attention back to the captain.

"So." he said, his voice hoarse. He didn't show it, but the sound surprised him. _Just how long had he been unconsicous?_

"You all stand before me, ready to stop me should I attempt to escape." he said bemused.

"Do I really appear as I am about to go anywhere?"

"We don't trust you." Steve said. "Even with those chains on. Given one small opening, you'll attempt to flee."  
Loki nodded. "True. But in these chains you have no reason to fear that."

The archer snorted. "Like we believe anything you say, liar."

Loki smiled. A charming smile. "Oh, my pet - calling me liar is like calling your leader here captain. It is my title." he said, his voice smooth.

Clint growled at the words, but remained rooted to his spot.

Loki smiled, unkindness dominating every inch of his features. "You are new to this, aren't you. You reek of doubt. Of fear." he sneered.

"So do you." answered Steve coldly. Loki barked out a laugh, ignoring the pain in his head. "You have me beaten, you have me chained. And yet, with a single word I can make you cover from your own emotions." Loki said, his voice cold and menacing. "Do I _look_ like I am afraid mortal?"

Steve moved to pick up something. "Yes, you do." he simply stated, as he pulled up a mirror and Loki saw himself. Bruised, blood on his clothes. His hair flat and unkempt. His skin as white as snow and his eyes red and sunken. He stared, his mouth falling open. He saw none of the injuries. He saw furhter, beyond the reflection. He looked into his own eyes, and he saw him. With an angry snarl he lifted his abused arms, smashing the mirror. The glas rained around him, and he heaved, satisfied. He looked at the avengers, expecting to find the doubt in their eyes. When instead Loki saw certainty he felt himself waver for the tiniest of moments.

"Thank you for proving our point." said Steve. "There is something after you, and it's using mirrors to see you."

Loki gave him a blank look, before chuckling. "You are all children." he said with disgust.

"To you maybe." said Steve. "But you are our prisoner, and until Thor gets back, our responsibility. You will be brought food and water. Eat and drink, unless you hope to starve yourself from Thanos' control."

His words caused Loki to stare. He didn't take the bribe of the mention of Thanos, but the other bit surprised him.  
"I expect Thor have gone to visit his other little human friends?"  
"No." answered Tony. "He's on Asgard, with the Tesseract and your staff. He left you here." the sound of the captains words caused Loki's head to explode in pain, and he shut his eyes, blocking them out. He groaned in pain as he felt the wetness of blood leak from his eyes, down his chins. He couldn't move his hands and so the blood simple stayed. The god said no more, and after a few minutes the avengers left him.

* * *

"What do you think Thor will say when he hears we told Loki that he'd been abandoned by his brother?" asked Bruce as they walked down the hall.  
"He'll be disappointed in us, I think." answered Steve, his voice regretful.  
"It's a normal interrogation technique." defended Natasha. "We need Loki to talk, and despite his injuries I acutally think the beating Hulk gave him have knocked a little sense into him. He didn't break down. He shut us out."

"The tears of blood were a bit creepy, though." said Tony as they reached the living room.

"It's normal. His tear ducts have suffered a trauma. Firstly from his many injuries and next from his break yesterday. I haven't examined him, but I can imagine his immune system isn't working probably and wont do until he eat something." explained Bruce.

"Great. Not like tears of blood does anything good to his charming character." remarked Tony dryly. Then he clapped his hands, a smile on his face. "Well, you guys have fun with keeping an eye on him! Bruce and I'll be in the lap. Call Pepper if you need something. In fact, don't call Pepper. Tell Jarvis. Keep the greek tragedy from committing suicide and/or destroying my property." and with that the billionaire let Bruce down the hall.

* * *

_Chapter 10, wooo! And the longest one yet, no less. Thanks for the reviews guys! They keep me writing, so do keep 'em coming!_

_Another thing- A few of you have requested that I add some romance to the story. Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not a big shipper or romance fan. I'm aromantic/asexual, and as such have absolutely little to no interested in romantic relationships. So, no romance in this story. Sorry. You'll have to keep to your monthly dose of angst and despair (I'm such a cheery person, I know). Also, I like to keep things canon. I doubt Loki's able to love anyone. That being said, I know nothing about the comics so do correct me if I'm wrong._

_Three chapters in one week. I'm spoiling you and you deserve it! I'll try and write as much as I can before April. My plan is to tie this story to the post-Avengers movies/stories. Just how I haven't quite decided yet. And so I have absolutely no idea how long this story will be._


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer:

I own nothing; all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 11**

"We need to force food in him." said Clint, matter-of-factly "And I am not saying that because I want to see him humiliated. He's completely hell bend on starving himself and we won't get any kind of useful answers from him until he gets some sort of nourishment."

He, Steve and Natasha sat in the kitchen, with a live feed of the ER room. Loki had been staring at the wall for the past hour, not moving a muscle. He had made no motion to clean of the blood from his face, and the only thing showing Loki wasn't sleeping was that his eyes were open and that he occasionally blinked.

"He shows signs of a great trauma." Natasha noted. "He's exhausted, but he won't rest. You think Thanos has easier access when he's sleeping?"

"No idea, but run it by Bruce. It could be possible." answered Clint.

"How do we force feed a god?" asked Steve, his voice tired. He missed the old, normal problems. The others offered no solution.

"What are you doing?" Pepper walked into the kitchen, cellphone and briefcase in hand. Noticing the screen, she walked up to the three, gasping at the sight of their 'guest'.

"What happened to him?" she said, the doubt in her voice not eliminating the possibility that Loki's current state was due to a rash treatment by the heroes.

Steve looked offended but Clint waved the unspoken accusation off. "Moron's exhausted, and his body is reacting to it. He refuse to eat so right now it's just a roller-coaster ride to rock bottom for him."

Pepper looked at them for a moment, her eyebrows raised. "Fine." she said, placing phone and case on the table. She went to the refrigerator, pulled out some fruit and a bottle of water. She grabbed a dishtowel and headed for the hallway.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." said Steve, getting up. Pepper whirled around, her eyes challenging as she stared down the three heroes. "I am not leaving a breathing being like that in my home, even if he is a crazed psychopath!" she declared, her eyes on fire as she turned and walked down the hall, determination in her steps. Steve halted, before making to follow her.

"Wait." said Natasha, causing Steve to stop and look at her. "Let her. Jarvis, call the others." ordered Natasha. The AI complied, and a few moments later both Bruce and Tony appeared.

"What's up?" asked Tony, as the two joined the others at the screen.

"Pepper's gone to feed our prisoner." said Clint with a bemused voice.

Tony stared. "What?" he asked, disbelief in his voice. "And you LET HER?!"

"No. But face it man, we don't mess with a woman who's used to handle your quirks." Clint replied. Tony, having no real comeback to that truth, turned to run but was stopped by Steve.

"The hell cap! She can't be alone with him!"

"Let her. He can't hurt her. Your presence wont help." said Steve, his voice urgent. "Trust her."

The look on Tony's face told the others that he clearly didn't, but he stopped fighting Steve and turned his attention back to the screen.

A few moments later Pepper entered the room. She placed the food on the table, before sitting herself besides the unmoving Loki.

"_Are you awake?_" they heard her ask. Loki stared ahead, completely ignoring her presence. Pepper hesitated for a moment, before taking the dishtowel and wetting it in the water from the bottle.

She carefully raised the towel to Loki's face and when he didn't react she gently placed the wet fabric on his skin. Still no reaction. Encouraged, she carefully started to remove the blood. It was slow work, she kept an constant eye on him, but it seemed that he paid her absolutely no attention. It wasn't until she reached the swollen area around his left eye - curtesy of Hulk's left fist it would seem - that he moved. He turned his head away from her, but she noted the flinch of pain as she'd touched the bruise. She pulled back, watching him for a moment before standing up and walking around the bed. Loki watched her, his eyes showing no emotions or hint of what he was thinking. They were like mirrors. Pepper folded the towel, adding more water before placing right over the swollen eye. She didn't move it, but allowed the water to soak up the dried blood. Loki looked her right in the eyes, still unmoving. After a few moments she removed the towel to repeat the process. She noted his visible eye look at her arm - the arm where he'd left a now dark purple bruise which had become visible when she rolled up her sleeve.

After a while the blood had almost been completely removed, and she let the blood soaked dishtowel fall to the floor.

She stood up to go get the fruit, and sat down again beside him. She started cutting the apples in small pieces, aware of his eyes on her.

"Why'd you do that?" the voice was soft and rough. It broke, causing Loki to cough. She waited for him to be calm again, before continuing her work.

"Not from kindness. Call it humanity. We don't let others suffer, even our enemies." she replied curtly. She then stopped slicing up the apples, looking at him. To her surprise he looked at her. His eyes rested on the bruise on her arm.

"You did that." she informed him matter-of-factly. "When you had your panic attack yesterday. You grabbed my arm, and refused to let go until Thor got here." she studied him carefully. While his facial expression didn't change, she did notice his eyes widen slightly at her words.

"I don't remember." he then said, turning his gaze away from her, to resume stared at the wall.

That surprised her. She knew the others had talked about how Loki had trouble recalling certain events, but she hadn't thought it would be like that.

"You were terrified." she said, her voice now gentle. She took a piece of apple, placing it against his mouth. "Eat." she said. "It's apple."

And without complaint, he ate the piece of fruit. He ate the entire apple, never once looking at her.

"Water?" she asked when he'd finished, and he nodded. She helped him to drink, his chained hands limiting his movement.

The water finished, and the apple gone, Pepper stood up. "Don't fight us. The sooner you get well and answer to the questions asked, the sooner you'll be able to leave."

"I can hardly contain myself with excitement." Loki asked blankly. Pepper frowned, studying him. He stared right a head, once again ignoring her. When a minute had passed, she left.

* * *

_'Thanos is in my head_' Loki thought as he lied still in the otherwise empty room. It had been hours since the mortal had left him. He had no idea of the time as the room he was kept in had no windows. '_I can't be sure of anything. All of my memories can have been altered.'_

He wondered how many times he'd reached that conclusion, only to have Thanos whisk it away. It could be countless, and he'd be none the wiser.

'_Thanos must be in possession of the reality gem._' the thought was unpleasant but not really a surprise. Thanos had been looking for it when he send Loki to Earth. It would only had been a matter of time until he located it.

Should he be able to free himself from Thanos claws, it presented another problem. He had no idea which of his memories were the correct ones. He remembered Thor throwing him off the Bifrost. But, he also remembered a crushing, devastating feeling of having failed. Of despair.

He laughed to himself, no sound once leaving his mouth. How amusing to think that the feeling he'd felt on the Bifrost had been despair. After he'd fallen through time and space and into Thanos lair, he'd learned true despair. The Others promise of a new kind of pain lurked in the back of his head.

He remained still, despite the feeling of dread that washed over him. He had to block Thanos and The Other from his mind. He had.. his hands grew into fists, and he nearly growled with anger. He had no defences left. He could only wait until the black oblivion would wash over him again.

With Thor gone to Asgard with no word of when he'd return for the disgraced second prince, Loki had little hope of being able to withstand anything at all, least of all a attack from the reality stone.

He played with the idea of simply finish himself off, but it was never really an option. Firstly, he couldn't move due to the numerous injuries. Secondly, he had no real wish to end his life. Not like on the bridge, where he'd well and truly thought he'd die.

Loki opened his eyes. Though Thanos could manipulate his mind from a great distance beyond believe, Thanos could not reach him without the Tesseract.

That was little comfort when Loki started to feel the familiar presence of another force in his head. He'd be lucky if he'd have any sanity left. He trembled, as he felt the once gently but now rough and demanding touch on his very being, his inner self. And he knew no more.

* * *

"There." said Clint, pointing at the screen. He and the others were watching the recording of Loki from after Pepper had left him.

It was the next evening and so far they hadn't had any trouble with the trickster god beyond the normal death glares and angry snarls.

"He's completely still but then he suddenly moves." they all saw Loki's hands turn into fists and a pained look crossed his face. His breathing became shallow and he gagged. Then, a subtle tremble surged through his body, and he relaxed again. Only, everything was different. Where as Loki had had closed eyes before, his eyes were know open. He looked directly at the camera, and the avengers got a uneasy feeling of being watched. Loki kept his gaze locked on the camera, and Clint shot it off.

"You sure?" asked Steve, looking at Clint who nodded. "Positive. Thanos controlling Loki right now, seeing through his eyes. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he could see us through the camera."

"Not possible." Tony piped up.

"Excuse me, but we have a god who's possessed by a Titan lying in your ER. Possible is the only word we can operate around." Clint deadpanned. The others had no response to that.

"Noted." Tony replied, arms folded. He and Bruce had been called up from the lab when Clint noticed the difference. Tony honestly didn't know what to make of the situation. So far he and Bruce had no luck figuring out a way to block Loki from Thanos signal.

"We can't really ask him anything until Thanos is gone." Steve said, sounding rather annoyed.

"That is another interesting thing." said Clint. "When I was under the mind gems control, Loki didn't have to do anything to keep up the connection. But it seems like it's different with the reality gem. Or else why wouldn't Thanos just posses Loki all the time? If he had we'd never had noticed the difference, and Thanos plans about the Infinity Stones would've remained secret."

"Either Thanos' busy with something else - which could possible be very bad for us - or we might just be so lucky that it takes a vast amount of concentration to alters someones reality."

"Loki is a god." said Bruce, his voice wondering. "And from what Thor tells us, he - for all his instability and hatred - is very clever. What if he counted on Thanos to punish him like this? By possessing him? You remember how he injured himself, almost taking off his own hand? What if that was a subconscious reaction to Thanos presence? Loki made sure that way that he was never alone, and kept under strict surveillance."

"It would also explain why he covered he mirror." said Natasha. "Though it is still a bit unclear what he's got against mirrors."

"Maybe it makes the connection stronger?" Steve suggested.

Tony frowned. " You know cap, that is not a bad idea. Thanos operates the reality gem from billions of billions of billions miles away. Could it just be, that when the target sees himself, it sort of approves the connection? Seals the deal?"

"And the reason Loki hasn't told anybody of this is, that he either isn't aware that he knows and simply acts from pure instinct. Or he does know, and chooses not to share his knowkledge despite it meaning he's left wide open for Thanos." summarised Natasha darkly.

"Not to forget the biggest question - is Loki Thanos' pet, or is he being forced?" Bruce reminded them.

"Or both." said Steve grimly.

"Neither, from the look of it." Clint suddenly said, and they all quickly looked at the screen. Loki was trashing in his bed, seemingly having trouble breathing.

Bruce and Steve jumped up, running to the room as the others gathered around the screen, eyes wide.

"He's suffocating!" said Natasha, her eyes wide.

Bruce and Steve reached the door and both barged in the ER. Loki was trashing around in the bed, fighting invisible hands. He wasn't speaking, or saying anything. Steve and Bruce froze for a second, as they saw the white marks of hands appearing all over Loki's body. That was all Steve managed to notice before he was unceremoniously showed aside. He stumbled, only to see Hulk charge the trashing Loki.

"Hulk!" Steve yelled, scared that Hulk would this time kill Loki off. So it surprised him greatly when the big green monster did exactly _not _that. Hulk roared, and threw his fist against the invisible foe. Loki had no air to scream, but Steve could see the panic in his eyes. Quickly gathering his wits, Steve ran to the pair.

"Hulk, hold him!" ordered Steve. The beast complied, and hold Loki down. Steve lifted his shield.

"Sorry 'bout this'" he said, voice truthful as he hammered down the adamantium shield. Loki was held firmly still by Hulks big hands, and when the shield hammered down on his head, Loki slumbered down, unmoving. He blinked dazedly, before coughing and gasping for air. The chains be damned, he threw himself to the side, away from Hulk where he continued to suck in air at a rapid pace. Steve stepped back, taking a deep calming breath. He barely noticed Banner shrink back down until Bruce stepped over to Loki to asses the damage.

"That was new." said Steve, a little breathless. Bruce nodded absentmindedly.

"You don't say. I thought he'd kill him."

Steve looked at Bruce with a little smile. "Perhaps he's not the monster you fear he is."

Bruce stopped, and looked closely at Steve. When all he saw was kindness, he smiled. "Perhaps."

The doctor helped Loki to sit up, to ease his breathing. Steve watched them from a distance, observing. He noticed Loki's panicked movements, and the blood once again dripping from his nose. Loki seemed beside himself, and not registering their presence, despite Bruce helping him. The god mumbled to himself, eyes flashing about but unseeing. The chains rattled, and Steve became a little uneasy. He did not recognize the words, but they held a similarity to those strange, native asgardian words Thor had spoken a few days ago. Was Loki asking for his brother? Bruce seemed to reach the same conclusion as he stepped back.

"He was nearly throttled to death, but he's suffered no injury beside it." said the doctor. Even now, the angry red marks of countless hands could be seen on Loki's pale skin.

"That wasn't only Thanos." said Steve. "It was others."

"The Other!" said Loki, starring at the captain, fear in his eyes. Steve raised a eyebrow, confused. "Who?"

Loki stared, before turning away. "_They don't know._" he whispered, loudly. Steve and Bruce shared a worried look. Loki continued to whisper to himself in the foreign tongue.

"I think he's lost it." said Steve.

"Wrong!" Loki yelled, jumping from the bed. The two stepped back, as Loki started to pace besides the bed, his face hidden by his long black hair, his long slim fingers moving in elegant patterns. The clothes Thor'd dressed him hang loosely around his thin body. The blood continued to drip from his nose, hitting the floor. Loki walked as long as the chains permitted before turning around, going back again. All Bruce and Steve could do was to watch the god move and do more than he'd done the last five days.

Loki felt the same clarity as when the mindless beast had attacked him after his failed attempt of freeing himself. They had banished Thanos from his mind, from his thoughts and memories. Loki searched his mind franticly for a solution to keep him out. None came to mind.

Loki thought desperately. The Allfather had lost the reality stone, to Thanos. He nearly laughed at the irony, but it merely came out as a disturbed grin. He wiped the blood from his face. Oh, how this changed things. He suddenly stopped, as realization came washing over him.

No. It changed nothing. He couldn't tell when Thanos attacked and so he needed to be around a being strong enough to keep the mad titan from eating away his sanity.

_You have nothing left_. Loki felt lightheaded, and sudden he saw the two mortals, both eyeing him with great concern. They stepped forward, a strange fearful look on their incompetent faces.

Loki blinked, his expression freezing. Then the anger surged through him. They dared keeping him captive, with Thor gone?! .. he suddenly felt confused, unsure. When had Thor gone? One day ago? A year? When would he be back?

He didn't want Thor back. Thor had thrown him from the Bifrost. _Or had he?_ The weight of at least three different realities came crushing down on him. The feeling of falling from the bridge, Thor's terrified expression when he let go..

Loki was unconscious before he hit the floor.

* * *

_Not sure if people in New York prefer to drink water from bottle or tap? In the Nordics we usually drink from the tap, our water being among the cleanest on the planet (cleaner than that of bottled water)._

_Chapter 11, and not slowing down. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I have no idea where the story is heading. I have some ideas on a very large scale but I mostly make it up word for word. It's the first time I've written a story like this, and I have to say I like it. _


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer:

I own nothing; all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 12**

When the god collapsed Bruce and Steve reacted instinctively. They both ran to their fallen prisoner. They weren't really worried about injuries, and it did not surprise him that Loki started moving again a few seconds later. Steve stood back while Bruce shielded Loki from the bright light.

Loki's bright eyes regarded them both little more than contempt but apparently he tolerated their presence for the time being.

Loki woke once again to a splitting headache. He groaned and forced his eyes to open. He blinked. The two mortals were besides him. He couldn't have been out for long.. He sat up with a start, cracking his head together with the doctor. The mortal fell back, but Loki ignored his cry of pain and concentrated on the stars dancing in front of his eyes. He could _remember_. He took a shaking breath, fear crippling his new found independence. Even though Thanos had lost his hold on him, for the time being, he still felt the pure agony of having too _many _memories in his head. His heart racing, he rested his head on his knees, his chained hands awkwardly resting in front of him.

_Breathe_ he commanded himself. _Breathe_..

Steve was besides Bruce in seconds. "Are you hurt?" he asked, worriedly.

Bruce shook his head and sat up with difficulty. "I'm a doctor. It's not my first head butt." he said with a weak smile, replacing his glasses that had been knocked off by the impact. Steve looked relieved, before turning his attention to Loki. The mumbling continued, but to low for him to understand. He helped Bruce to his feet, eyes never leaving their prisoner.

"What now?" he asked.

"It looks like Loki's having another breakdown." Bruce said, keeping his distance. The two watched Loki's shaking and desperate attempt of getting his breathing under control. "And with Thor gone, I doubt we can snap him out of it."

_He couldn't breathe_! He started to panic as the memories flashed before his eyes, none making any sense which only caused him to loose it further. He saw himself fall from the Bifrost, he heard himself beg, he saw Thor throw him off, he heard Odins disappointment ring in his ears, the cruel hands that had pulled him from the void, their terrifying touch, the _pain _when they tore him apart and the humiliation when they put him back together.. With a stifled scream he lifted his chained hands, scratching and attacking his eyes with his nails, in attempt to remove the images form his mind. He didn't feel the blood as it started to run down his face nor the pain from the deep wounds he had inflicted upon himself. He only registered that the images, memories, what they were, did not disappear. They remained, as burned into his eyelids. Unable to feel the pain, he tried to scratch the images away from his vision. He heard a scream, but didn't recognize it. How little did he know that it was himself.

Then somebody forced his hands away from his bloodied face and, with a angry roar, forced his hands from his abused face.

Loki was lifted from the floor, pressed against the wall with his arms pinned in front of him. He couldn't see, the blood was blinding him. He hang helplessly, and after a moment he fell still.

His breathing slowed down, and soon the only thing to heard was the subtle sound of blood dripping to the floor, and the heavy breathing from his attacker. Loki could taste his blood on his lips, the iron taste making him nauseous. _It's too much_ he thought. fighting to keep calm. And so, as he'd done only one time before in his life - when the outside became too much, he retreated into himself.

* * *

Steve stared at Loki with his mouth slightly open. When Hulk had emerged to keep the trickster from apparently scratch out his own eyes, Loki had been quick to calm down. Steve's sharp eyes noticed the difference as soon as it happened. Loki virtually deflated in front of him. He suddenly seemed smaller as he sunk into himself (Steve had no other word for it), and though his face and eyes were little more than a big bleeding wound, Steve had the feeling that Loki's eyes had become glazed and distant. Provided that he still actually had his eyes. When Banner started to shrink down again, Steve hurried forward to catch Loki as he lost the support of the green avenger. Neither of the humans spoke, but Bruce stared at Loki and at the blood on his hands. Steve laid Loki down, and between the blood flow he saw one bright eye. The soldier felt something in his stomach return as he sighed in relief. He'd feared that Loki had actually managed to scratch out his eyes, but it seems as if Bruce had intervened at just the right moment.

"Let me." said Bruce with a strained voice, and Steve let the doctor see to the fallen prisoner. As Steve moved back, the door opened and the rest of the Avengers entered the room, their eyes wide and faces pale.

"What the _fucking hell _just happened?!" asked Clint as Steve got back onto his feet. The captain didn't answer, he knew they'd all seen it. He merely shook his head, looking at Tony who was starring as Bruce quickly cleared the blood away.

"Tony." Steve said, causing the genius to look at him. "Do you have any idea of how we might get a message to Asgard?" Steve asked. "Because what ever Thor thought, we can not handle this."

Tony's face turned grim. "No, I don't. Even if I maybe could wipe something up that could reach into deep space, I have no idea where to point it."

"From Thor's explanation, I'm guessing up." said Natasha. "He calls Earth Midgard, so from some perspective he must think that Earth is in the centre of something. I can imagine that Asgard is over that, with the other planets or realms or whatever he calls them, are joined."

Tony nodded absent-mindedly. "It's a good theory, but can either of you tell which way is up?" when no one answered, he sighed, looking at Steve. "No cap, I can't contact Thor."

They all fell silent. Natasha had moved to assist Bruce wrap think bandages around Loki's eyes and head. "I can't patch him up." Bruce said, his voice sorry. "He have to heal them on his own accord."

"What about the birds?" said Clint suddenly as Bruce carefully laid Loki's head on the floor. He and the others looked at the archer.

"The ravens, those Thor spoke with last week. Couldn't they get a message to Asgard?"

The others simply stared for a moment. "Do you know where they are?" asked Steve, his voice urgent. Clint shook his head.

"They don't call me Hawkeye for nothing you know." he smirked. "But as a matter of fact, I noticed it this morning when I was making coffee - it flew past the window. It seems as either Thor or Odin has told it to stay close."

"This is too weird." grumbled Tony, before turning to Clint. "You know how to talk to them?" he asked tiredly. Crazy gods and talking birds, the world just kept on getting weirder and weirder.

"No, but how hard can it be. Thor spoke normally to it the last time, so I assume they speak english?" said Clint, already heading out the door.

"Great." said Tony, hands on his hips as he surveyed the room. It was completely destroyed. Blood on the floor and walls. Deep cracks in the wall , and not to mention the nail marks on the floor. "What do we do now?"

At the same moment Loki moved. They all jumped, but it seemed as if he merely sat up from his position on the floor. Head hung low, he retreated to his former corner, never speaking a word in the process. He moved stiffly and unseeing. Once the wall was behind him, he fell motionless again. He wasn't unconscious, they could tell by the way he was holding himself. His position looked uncomfortable, both due to his injuries and his chained hands. But he didn't complain. He merely sat, the perfect image of one who'd given up.

Bruce had remained seated while Loki retreated from them. He then carefully got up, wiping his hands in a towel supplied by Natasha.

"He's psychotic." said the doctor, his face worried. "He's gone beyond whatever madness consumed him before. Now, it is his everything."

"He tried to scratch out his eyes. What do you think Thanos showed him?" asked Natasha, regarding the unmoving Loki with caution and something close to pity.

"I don't think it is as much what Thanos showed him as it is what came back. When Thanos lost the connection to Loki's mind, isn't it possible that all of those suppressed memories came back to him?" reasoned Tony, a frown on his face. "Imagining having two - at least -different memories of everything. How would you tell the real ones from the fake? Not to mention, we have no idea what Thanos kept from Loki. If it is traumatic experiences, I think it's a pretty sure bet that that could make anyone psychotic."

They remained in the room, waiting for Clint to return. Neither felt like leaving the bloodied god on his own, even if he seemed much more calm than the previous days, they all had a feeling that it was all an act. Bruce had attempted to clean some of the blood of Loki, but as soon as the wet towel had touched his skin the god had struck out with an angry snarl like an animal, giving the clear expression that they should not come near him. So, they settle in the opposite end of room. Jarvis had the ventilation up and running, the sweet smell of blood slowly disappearing.

Tony had gone and gotten himself a drink which he drank in silence, eyes never leaving Loki's thin, unmoving figure. He tapped his finger on the glass, his watchful eyes never once leaving the bloodied figure in front of him. He hated to think it, but he felt something akin to sympathy towards the fallen god. Loki had killed thousands, but hadn't Stark Industries done the same thing, indirectly? If any of what they suspected was true, Loki had merely been a means to an end, a weapon, a tool used by Thanos. Tony disliked when he didn't know, but he had to admit that the population of Earth had next to none idea of what was going on the universe. Heck, he and the team might be those with the biggest knowledge on Earth right now. And if Thanos was indeed as powerful and cruel as Thor had given the impression off (Tony figured it wasn't normal practice to actually banish people from the Universe) then they were in big trouble, if a being could reduce someone as powerful as Loki to a sobbing wreck who had by the way just tried to scratch out his _eyes!_ Loki had fallen for years (or something along those lines), and if faced off against another being who also controlled the stones of destiny (or whatever) it could just be that Loki had been an easy prey for Thanos to manipulate.

Tony drank the last of his scotch, his expression becoming increasingly more dark as his thoughts progressed. He wasn't sure where this would lead them, but the idea that Loki would simply go back home to Asgard seemed less and less realistic. Tony straightened from his position at the wall when the door opened and Clint reappeared - with a giant ass bird on his shoulder.

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Not authorised." he deadpanned with a frown. "I'm pretty sure birds in the ER isn't normal protocol."

"Stuff it Stark." Clint bit back as the bird took flight from his shoulder. It soared towards Loki, where it landed on the floor. The avengers held their breath as the raven looked at Loki with its sparkling black eyes.

"I found it on the roof." said Clint, his voice low. "I tried to say that I needed to get a message to Asgard about Loki, but instead it kept flying past me, trying to get in. I gave in and yes Stark, Jarvis did say that you wouldn't like it, but I figured he had to make an exception." Tony glared at the ceiling at the ever unseen Jarvis.

"I need to upgrade him a bit I think.." started Tony, when the raven uttered a low, smooth sound. It spoke - or something - to Loki. They all stared as the bird tried to get closer, apparently to survey Loki's injuries. Loki lifted his bandaged head slightly at the low sound from the bird.

"_Hugin?_" the word was so softly spoken that they firstly thought that they had imagined it. But the raven reacted, and jumped to sit on Loki's leg, tilting its head slightly. It made a rather rough sound, almost like a growl. Loki visibly flinched, as if the bird scolded him. The raven, Hugin apparently - they had no idea how Loki could tell two black ravens from each other when he was momentarily blind - stared at the god in front of it, puffing his feathers up before calming. It looked at Loki almost affectively. Loki's head, when the bird had snapped at him, had sunk down to rest on his chest again. Hugin poked his leg with its peak, but when no reaction was granted, it rustled it feathers again and turned to face the avengers. It locked eyes with Clint and took flight. He yelped, but the bird merely landed on his shoulder where it looked at them all in turn.

They all looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Then Steve stepped forward, looking the bird in the eyes. "Can you get a message to Thor, on Asgard? As you have seen - " Steve pointed at the immobile Loki - "We need him back. We can't care for Loki, had he's getting worse by the minute."

Hugin stared at the captain, before _nodding_. Then it took off, leaving the avengers to gap after it.

"Well, that went well." said Natasha. "Now what?"

"We wait for.." said Steve, but was interrupted by a massive thunder crack that caused them all to jump. The sound caused Loki to scream, hiding his head under his arms. They were torn - should they stay making sure Loki didn't have another freakout, or go greet Thor?

"I go!" said Tony, making a beeline for the door. Steve attempted to calm Loki, who had started to trash in his corner but it had no effect. Loki screamed soundlessly, fighting despite his injuries to move away from the soldiers hands. "You better leave him." said Bruce regrettably. "He's beyond reason."

Steve backed away, leaving Loki in the corner. The thunder disappeared, and Loki instantly calmed down again, though his breathing was extreme superficial.

Tony hadn't been gone for more than a minute when they heard people move quickly towards the ER. They had expected Tony to talk, and Thor to yell. Instead there was silence, until the door opened. Neither Thor or Tony entered. Instead a tall woman in a flowing blue dress with long golden hair entered. She didn't even see the surprised looks on the avengers face as she headed straight for Loki with a soft anguished cry. A second later, Thor and Tony appeared, as the unknown woman kneeled down besides Loki. Thor looked tired and extremely worried as he moved to stand behind the woman. Seeing him standing right next to her made the connection for the Avengers. "That's Frigga." said Natasha, her voice piped in interest. "Thor's and Loki's mother."

"_Min elskede barnið!_" Frigga whispered as her gentle hands reached for Loki. Upon touching his skin, he startled, raising his head with a soft cry. "Don't.. touch me!" his broken voice brought tears to Frigga's eyes.

"Loki, my son. It's me.." she said, gently stroking her fingers over his thin pale arms, past the blood. Loki fought her, but then stilled. He raised his head, looking in the direction of her voice. "_Mother_?" his voice filled with hopeful disbelief.

Frigga smiled a sad smile, ignoring her own tears as she gently lifted her hand to his cheek, stroking it just as when he was small an scared.

"It is me, my dearest son." she said, her voice steady despite her shook and heartbreakingly relief.

Loki raised his chained hands in a blind effort to find her. He barely moved them before Friggas strong arms circled around him, carefully pulling him into a hug. His arms bound, all Loki could do was to lay his head on her shoulder, sinking into her motherly embrace. Frigga kissed his brow, her arms thightly around him.

She could feel Loki's tense body slowly relax and it wasn't soon until his shoulders started to shake slightly. She smiled, her mouth pressed against his brow.

"I thought you dead." she said, her voice loving and full of sorrow. "I lost you, my sweet child, my darling son and now you are back.."

Thor watched their mother pull Loki into her arms, her loving words soothing her youngest son, a child she one month ago thought she'd never see again. The thunder god felt his heart swell with happiness when he saw Loki respond to her embrace, despite his injuries and difficulties. Thor frowned, looking at the bandage around his brothers head. Deciding that Frigga did not need his support right now, he stood up, returning to his awestruck comrades. Thor felt himself smile slightly at the sight of them.

"So, your mother is here?" said Clint, when Thor reached them. The god nodded gravely.

"Aye, when she learned of Loki's condition from Hugin she refused to let me go by myself despite my fathers protests." he said sadly, looking at the two figures of his mother and brother. Frigga was whispering calming words to Loki, who seemed to having overcome his momentarily shock from realizing that his mother had come, and had slipped back into his catatonic state where he merely rested against his mother, nested against her chest, head against her shoulder.

"And you? How are you Thor, truly?" asked Steve, his bright blue eyes eying Thor with honest worry. Thor ran a hand across his face.

"I do not know. When we received your summon from Hugin, I was beyond terrified. I had no idea days had passed here on Earth - hardly a day had transpired whilst I was on Asgard"

"We figured that could be an issue big guy, so don't sweat it." said Tony reassuringly. Thor smiled at his friends, but worry didn't leave his face. He looked around the room, as if only seeing the state of the ER now that his brother had found some safety in their mothers arms.

Natasha had disappeared with the exhausted Bruce, leaving Clint, Tony and Steve with the now three gods. The three humans shifted around a little unsure as Thor truly saw the extent to what had happened while he was a way. The cracks in the walls, the blood on the floor.

He looked again at his brothers thin form, it had nearly been covered completely by Friggas gown.

"Has he eaten anything?" asked Thor, fearing the answer. To his surprise, they all nodded.

"Pepper got him to eat an apple." said Tony, disapproval written all over his face. Thor looked astonished. "An apple? Really? That is truly good news!" said Thor. The three men gave him a doubtful look.

"Is this some viking god sh..stuff we don't know anything about?" asked Clint tiredly.

Thor nodded his approval. "Apple's hold special powers to us. Those we have in Asgard are special, but any apple are good and will have helped him greatly."

Thor turned to Tony. "Where is Lady Pepper? I must inform her of my gratitude."

Tony looked like he wasn't entirely sure if Thor was pulling one on him. But then he shrugged.

"Sure. She's at work - I think.. She'll be back later."

Thor smiled. "Thank you my friend. I know you cannot truly graps the value of this small kindness, but it may have made all the difference."

Tony returned the smile. They heard movement, and turned to see Frigga look at them. She looked pained, but seemed calmer now that she had her child in her arms once again. "These are your friends, Thor?" she asked. When the god nodded, Frigga smiled.

"I thank you for what you have done to my Loki. But, do you perhaps have another room for me to take him to? I would hate for him to wake up in these destroyed quarters."

"We can bring him to my room, mother." offered Thor, looking at Tony. "Assuming you give us your permission, friend?"

Tony resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. "Of course it's fine" _you big toad _he thought to himself. Frigga nodded her thanks and stood up, lifting Loki in her arms before following Thor's lead.

* * *

**Translations**

_Min elskede barnið_ \- my beloved child. (mix of danish, icelandic and swedish)

* * *

_I've been debating with myself if I should bring in Frigga or not. I went with yes, because she's great._

_In Norse Mythology, apple's are what keeps the gods young and alive. They are guarded by the goddess Iðunn/Idun. They obviously doesn't have the same meaning in Marvels universe, but then again I'm not strictly canon (duh). My idea is, that apples are eaten by the Æsir when they are sick/injured. The Asgard apples have the same effect on Loki, because he's been eating them all his life. They aren't tied to race._


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer:

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 13**

Having one god in your house was trouble.

Having three - a frantic brother, a worried mother and a psychotic war criminal - was trouble infinity. Tony felt a headache approaching as he slumbered down into the sofa. The remaining avengers had left Frigga to care for the catatonic Loki, and retreated to the living room. Tony felt exhausted. Granted, he had sleep problems in general, so he couldn't blame everything on Loki (even if they had become worse since the invasion). And by the way Thor looked as the giant man sat down in an armchair, he couldn't bring himself to voice his frustration to the thunder god.

Thankfully Natasha had gotten Bruce to bed. A sleep deprived Hulk was not on his bucket list. The widow joined them soon after, sinking down besides Tony. Clint and Steve had disappeared, only to reappear a few minutes later, with two pots of steaming coffee. The smell of the dark liquid sparked some energy into Tony's head, and he gladly accepted the cup Clint offered him. He drank from it greedily, and it was only when he lowered the cup again he noticed Thor hadn't touched the cup of coffee Steve had handed to him. They all knew how much Thor loved coffee, and seeing the giant man sitting silently, starring in the steaming cup, was unsettling.

"So." said Steve after waiting a few minutes only to receive nothing but silence. "Thor, what did you learn on Asgard?"

The sound of the captains voice seemed to pull Thor out of his frozen state, and the thunderer lifted his gaze to look at his friends.

"I beg for your forgiveness." Thor then said, his voice tight as the cup in his hands made a faint noise of protest. The others blinked, surprised that the god ignored Steve's question.

"For what?" asked Steve, seemingly confused by the direction the conversation had taken. Thor put his coffee down, a pained expression on his face.

"For leaving Loki here. For asking you to look after him. I should have realized that time passes differently on Asgard, but in my hurry to get the Tesseract off world I forgot it."

"Look, leaving Loki here wasn't exactly your idea to start with. We can blame that on Fury." said Tony, pouring himself another cup of coffee. He sounded mad, but at the alarmed look on Thor's face he quickly smiled reassuringly, lifting his hands in front of him. "Not like that. Jeez, quit the hurt puppy look big guy!"

"What I think Tony is trying to say, is that nobody are to blame for this." said Steve, his gaze focused on Thor, ignoring Tony's quiet 'except Fury' from behind his coffee cup, smirking. Clint snorted.

Thor ran a hand across his face. The others took the oppertunity to really look at their friend. Thor looked as exhausted as they all felt. His armour dull, his cape covered with several bloodstains from Loki.

"You said you'd only been gone a few hours, in asgardian time." Steve tried again. "Is the Tesseract secure?"

Thor nodded. "It now rests in the depths of Asgard. No one but the family of Odin's house will be permitted to see it."

The avengers felt the relief wash over them. "So Thanos cannot use the Tesseract to gain access to the Universe?" asked Natasha. Thor shook his head.

"That should make Fury happy for now." remarked Clint. "I'm not sure his blood pressure could handle another alien invasion."

Thor smiled, but it was a ghost of a smile. He looked at Steve, his hands folded in front of him. "Tell me, what happened while I was away? What caused Loki to sink so deep into his madness?"

The others shared a look, before settling their eyes on the captain.

Steve cleared his throat. "I fear it might be my fault." he said, voice serious and apologetic.

"Kinda your fault." Clint reminded him. "It was not your fault, Cap."

Thor looked increasingly worried and confused as his gaze shifted between the pair. Steve sighed.

"We were discussing Loki's condition when he - Loki - suddenly seemed to have trouble breathing. Doctor Banner and I ran to help him, but it seemed like an invisible presence tried to strangle the life out of your brother. Banner hulked out.."

Thor had gotten paler as the story progressed. He swallowed. "Please, what happened next?" he asked.

"Hulk held him down, and I hit Loki with my shield." said Steve blankly. "The attacker released Loki. Loki fainted, most likely from a mixture of panic and lack of air. He woke a few minutes later, but it was only a few minutes until he freaked out."

"He tried to scratch out his eyes." said Tony, voice low as he stared Thor dead in the eye. "Who _does_ that?"

Thor had gotten paler as the story progressed. He swallowed. "Please, what happened next?" he asked.

"Hulk stopped him. Trapped him against the wall until he calmed down." Steve hesitated. "If you can call it that. It looked like he shrank in size, deflating in front of us. He just became still, and retreated to the corner you and your mother found him in. Banner had managed to bandage the self-inflicted wounds to his head, but nothing beyond that. We couldn't come near him."

"He wouldn't let you." said a new voice, and they all turned to find Frigga in the door. There was blood on her gown, but her hands were clean and her face determined in her sadness. Thor stood up immediately. "Mother, tell me - how fares Loki? Has he truly lost himself?"

Frigga shook her head as she walked into the room. The avengers shifted, unsure of themselves. Being around Thor was one thing, but Frigga! Everything about her yelled queen, from her clothes to the way she walked. Her long, golden hair fell like a waterfall down her back. She was beautiful, but the beauty was disrupted by the pained look in her eyes and features. "No, my son. But lost he is, and I fear it'll take a great deal from us to bring him back." Thor looked grief stricken, but nodded determined at her words. "Then I shall find him, and bring him back." he declared, with the same fire he spoke with whenever he spoke of his brother.

Frigga smiled sadly, before turning her attention to the mortals.

"I greet you, warriors of Midgard. I am Frigga, mother of Thor and Loki." she said, bowing her head in respect of the mortals in front of her. Steve quickly bowed, the others following suit except Natasha who curtseyed, earning her a funny look from Tony. He then yelped when she punched him.

Frigga smiled. "You needn't bow to me, friends of my son. I have wanted to meet Thor's mortal friends ever since I saw you in a dream." her smile vanished. "I had hoped we would meet under less grave circumstances."

"We would have hoped for such circumstances never to have happened, queen Frigga." said Steve, his tone matched the asgardian queens.

"Excuse me." Tony stepped forward, and the rest of the group collectively held their breath. Tony gave them an offended glare, before looking at Frigga who seemed bemused, the humour not reaching her eyes though. "Queen Frigga, you said Loki was lost. I am assuming you speak figuratively?"

She nodded. "Indeed." she moved to sit and Thor quickly made room for her to sit beside him. She sat down, gracefully.

"I know it is hard for you to see my youngest son as more than a war criminal. I grieve for the choices Loki's made, but a mothers love knows no bounds and I am determined to save him." Frigga explained, her hands folded in her lap as she gently spoke.

"Thor told us on Asgard, that you believe that Thanos has taken a hold on him. I fear that you are correct. If Loki has been under the influence of the Reality Gem, there is no telling what horrors Thanos may have exposed him to." Frigga then looked at Clint. The archer raised an eyebrow, but she smiled reassuringly.

"I am sorry for what Loki put you through, son of Barton. To be controlled by someone else's will is a terrifying and painful experience. If you permit, I would like to offer you healing, to rest your mind."

Clint looked unsure, before clearing his throat, the words escaping him. He had no doubt Thor also felt very sorry for what his younger brother had done to him, but that was nothing like the pure understanding he saw in Frigga's eyes. He couldn't meet her gaze, and was surprised when she gently laid her hand on his. Clint looked up, surprised. Frigga smiled to him, a motherly smile.

"To be unmade is a terrifying experience." she said, giving his hand a small squeeze before leaning back into her seat. "But not irreversible."

"Mother." said Thor, getting Frigga's attention. He didn't say anything else, but something passed between them, nothing any of the present humans could understand. The deep understanding between two beings who'd known each other for centuries, they needn't always use words.

A shadow crossed Frigga's face. "As I said, your brother is lost, both to us and himself." Frigga explained, her soft voice filled with sadness. Thor looked confused, as did the others. Frigga weighed her words carefully before explaining further.

"Loki has lost sight of himself, and has retreated deep within in order to protect himself. He cannot tell family from foe, and attacks anyone who attempts to reach him."

"He didn't hurt you, surely!" said Thor alarmed. Frigga shook her head. "I never gave him the chance. I cleaned his wounds the best as I could, and dressed him in new clothes. He never reacted to my touch."

"He reacted to Steve when he tried to calm him. He sounded like a animal." supplied Clint, a frown on his face.

"But not to Pepper." reminded Tony, the memory of his girlfriend washing the blood of Loki suddenly entering his mind. He felt an uneasy shiver run down his spine.

Frigga regarded them both in turn. "I mean you no ill will, Steve." she spoke the unfamiliar name slowly, looking at the captain. "but you are a man and you tend to have a much harsher touch, even when you don't mean to." she turned to Tony. "I assume this Pepper is the lady Pepper Thor has told me about?"

Tony nodded. "She's my girlfriend."

"Spouse." supplied Thor to his mother. Tony gawked at the thunder god.

".. you know something I don't?" he asked sarcastic. Thor blushed slightly, and the others chuckled.

"Anyway." Tony returned his attention to Frigga. "Yes. Pepper and I live together. Loki seemed to take a fancy to her. Thor thought it was because of her blond hair - I think it is more of a red colour, but whatever."

Frigga listened patiently before nodding. "I believe Thor is correct. In his confused state of mind, Loki might have mistaken her for me. Is she here? I would like to thank her."

"She'll be here later, she's working." Tony answered, getting a little lightheaded with all the gods that seemed to owe Pepper a good deal of thanks.

Frigga nodded in acceptance, turning her attention to Thor. "In order to pull Loki out from the nightmare in which he has trapped himself, I fear there is no easy way to do this. I will try and guide him out, but he must want to return and I am worried he might.. not want to."

Thor looked alarmed. "Why, mother?" he pressed. "Tell us, what have you seen?"

Frigga fell silent, her eyes distant. She suddenly looked old, and it struck the rest of the avengers just how old the woman in front of them were. Thousands of years old. Her eyes were galaxies and stars, memory and future. Then she blinked, and they were released once again.

"I am not sure." Frigga said, her voice distant. "I saw horror. Despair. And utter, utter darkness. The feeling of falling.." tears suddenly spilled from her eyes. She stared ahead. "I felt his despair when he was falling through the Void." she whispered. Thor took her hand gently in his, offering whatever comfort he could.

"He was so scared, Thor. He fell for years." Frigga's voice was shaking, her hand grasping Thor's with all her might. Tony suddenly felt very glad Thor had offered his hand; the genius doubted a human hand would survive such treatment. But Thor merely sat still, offering his mother a steady hand of comfort. His head was bowed. Frigga blinked, and seemed to pull herself for whatever she was seeing. She gently wiped away the tears, and pattered her sons hand.

"I haven't seen what happened afterwards and until he came upon Midgard." she admitted. "The truth is, I fear what I might find."

"A problem shared is a problem cut in two." Steve suddenly said.

The others stared at the captain, who flushed at the sudden attention. "It's from a song." he explained as he folded his arms in front of him, a frown on his face.

"I understand your fears, ma'am. But Loki is facing all of his demons alone. As soon as you, or Thor, or heck even one of us, can understand why all of this has happened, the sooner you may take him back to Asgard."

Frigga looked at the captain, her features calm but her eyes filled with anguish. "You know loss, child. I can see it." she then said. Steve blinked, surprise written all over his face.

"I know what I have to do to get my son back. " Frigga proceeded. "The question is, if I'm worthy to shoulder Loki's demons, I who failed him so.."

"You didn't fail him, mother." Thor said gently. "You are the only one who've ever understood him, truly."

Frigga smiled at her oldest, a sad smile. Thor then raised himself from the couch. "But I do not wish for you to endure Loki's torments alone, mother. I will help you, or I shall never again be worthy to hold Mjölnir in my hands."

"Is that possible?" asked Tony interested. "I'm assuming it's some asgardian voodoo-magic but how does it work? Can you just, I don't know, tap into Loki subconscious?"

Frigga seemed bemused by his questions. "I don't believe you have any words in your tongue that could be used to describe the process. But yes, that is what will happen." Frigga turned her gaze to Thor, worry evident in her blue eyes.

"You are the most worthy, Thor, of that I have no doubt. But I cannot ask you to do that."

"You don't have to." said Thor, grasping Mjölnir with his hand. "I make the choice myself. I am Loki's older brother, and I am done failing him."

"And us." said Steve. Clint made a noise of protest, but was silenced by a look from the captain. "The more eyes, the quicker we can find him." he explained seriously. "But you must understand, queen Frigga - none of this, with the exception of Thor, does this out of any kind of comradeship to Loki. He knows something, that we need to know and we need him sane and stable in order for him to tell us this."

* * *

Darkness was falling when Frigga - who had accepted Steve's offer -, Thor and the rest of the avengers went to the room Frigga had left Loki in earlier. No one was entirely sure what would happen, but to see asgardian magic at work; there was no way they would pass down such an opportunity. Bruce had awoken earlier that evening and had been introduced to Frigga. The doctor had shyly accepted the Allmothers thanks for taking care of Loki. Either she didn't know, or nobody had told her of Hulk's rough treatment of Loki a few days ago. Nobody said anything, anyway.

There was little change in Loki's condition. They couldn't tell if he was unconscious or not, as the bandages still covered his eyes and his body gave no sign of either condition. Frigga sat beside his side, Thor on the other side. The avengers took place at the foot of the bed, some standing, some sitting. Clint was frowning, and Tony was practically bouncing with excitement at the prospect of finally seeing some 'magic'. Natasha and Steve looked more unsure of it all, and Bruce had as the only one decided not to be present, to avoid any potential stress.

Frigga gently stroked Loki's hand, a loving smile on her lips. She looked at Thor, who nodded.

"You must all remember, than none of this is real to us. It is only Loki's reality and thus you are in no danger of coming to harm. Thor will take the brunt of it, but you may all catch a glimpse. It is in these glimpses you will have the opportunity to look for Loki." her eyes grew serious. "He may fight you, should you find him. He cannot hurt you, but you can hurt him. Not psychically, but mentally. It is his mind."

"What will you do, mother?" asked Thor, taking Loki's other hand in his.

"I will attempt to remove the false memories, the ones that have caused him to sink into this state." Frigga said, her voice tight. Thor nodded, and fell silent.

"We begin."

A odd sensation washed over the gathered humans just as Frigga closed her eyes. They felt cold. Not unpleasant, not freezing. Just.. cold.

The avengers looked unsure at each other. It seemed as if both Frigga and Thor were long gone. Thor had closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. Nobody dared speak, remembering Friggas warning.

Both gods seemed completely oblivious to their surroundings. When a few more moments had passed, and nothing major save the chilling feeling had happened, the avengers started feeling off. Thor and Frigga looked terrible. Their jaws set, hands shaking slightly, and their eyes shut tightly. Tony raised his eyebrows in understanding, and carefully closed his eyes.

Instead of darkness his vision exploded in colours. He saw stars, literally, and galaxies, and in the distance a golden city. He felt his legs buck under him from shock, and a pair of arms catch him. He forced his eyes open with great effort, and found Steve beside him, half kneeling on the floor. Tony took a shaking breath as he looked around. He was in Thor's room. He felt sure he'd been in the Universe just a few moments before. Realization dawned on him. The others had moved to him and Steve, so he dared a whisper. 'Sit down, and your eyes.' Steve let go of Tony, who sank to the floor. The others followed suit, sitting on the floor. With a deep breath Tony closed his eyes again, expecting to see the stars again.

Instead he saw Thor. Or, a dream-version or whatever Frigga had done. Thor lifted his hammer, and hammered it down on the glittering bridge, causing great cracks in the surface. He yelled for Thor to stop, and Tony felt confused.

This wasn't his memory, he was pretty sure he'd remembering traveling to Asgard. Understanding hit him like a train, as he felt not-his-body getting up, attacking Thor with a spear of sorts.

It's Loki's memory. Tony suddenly remembered. He blinked. That was weird. He saw everything from Loki's point of view, and he couldn't only imagine the same counted for the other avengers. That was about all he managed to think before the Bifrost - it had to be the unicorn bridge Thor had been rambling about - blew up underneath the two gods, sending them soaring through the air. Tony felt himself panic as he, or Loki, started to fall. Then Thor was caught by what looked like a pirate version of father christmas.

"_I could've done it, father! For you, for all of us!_"

"_No, Loki._" Tony felt himself frown, despite of the situation. He knew more than his fair share of shitty parenthood and Odin (apparently) was not making a great first impression on the genius.

The look on Thor's face was terrible, as he begged for Loki to hold onto the staff. Tony, inside Loki's memory, could feel the hopelessness and despair. The humiliation of having failed, again.

And then he let go.

Tony felt his insides protest at the sudden zero gravity, or at least the memory of it. He felt terror well up in him, as the rift in the stary sky opened up beneath him and swallowed him.

Everything was darkness, and cold. So cold. Tony lost all feeling with time, it could've been just a few seconds or days. Then suddenly he felt something take hold of him, and pull. He heard Loki scream in agony, as they both were pulled from the black nothing to something.

"_Who... are you?_" a terrible voice asked. Tony cursed his limited vision. He could only see what Loki saw, and as the god currently lay trembling on the ground, face in the space dirt. Loki hissed, and didn't answer. Pain, or the memory of it filled Tony's senses. It didn't hurt him, but Loki screamed again. Whatever Frigga had done to pull them in, it apparently shielded them from actually feeling the pain. Or could it be that Loki had forgotten how it felt? By the sound of his screams, Tony quickly decided that Loki hadn't forgotten anything.

The torture went on, and Tony felt sick and useless. He had about one point nothing good to say about Loki, but nobody deserved treatment like that.

"Who are you?" the terrible voice asked again and again. Loki's field of vision changed, and Tony could finally see the attacker. He stared. The purple giant in front of him looked nothing like he'd expected. He wore armour, and a sadistic smile.

Tony fought to open his eyes, as Thanos - it could only be Thanos - pulled Loki from the ground and up to his eyes. Loki gasped for air as Thanos began to squeeze his life away.

"_Lo.._" Tony heard the god stammer, and the pressure lessened. "_Loki_." the trickster god gasped as air once again filled his lungs. Thanos smiled.

"_Loki... A god from Asgard perhaps?_" Thanos licked his lips, malice written all over his face as Loki weakly nodded. "_A son of Odin.. a jotun, a beast.._"

The taunting words continued as hands grasped Loki from Thanos grip, pulling him back. Tony felt the pure terror from Loki when everything once again turned dark. Soon pain was everything as the hands - who looked suspiciously like Chitauri hands - ripped the god apart, limp from limp. Then nothing but numbness as Loki healed by the hands of Thanos, left in darkness and his own hitched breathing. Until they came for him. Again. And again, all the while the deep, sadistic laughter of Thanos rang in his ears and the screeching from the Chitauri froze his core. Then a blinding blue light.

"_Obey_." Thanos whispered, as his face appeared in front of Loki, his eyes shining blue with expectation. "_My son_."

Then nothing.

Feeling sick to his core, Tony forced open his eyes and once again found himself in the quiet room with the others. He stared at the other avengers, who all had gotten pale. They stared back with wide, terrified eyes.

* * *

_ I know I said no chapters in April. But, I had to get this out (writersblock) or I'd never get it done. Maybe you'll get another in a few weeks, when I'm back from Iceland (what a depressing thought). Also, I've made some minor changes in chapter 11 and 12 (there was a little problem with some duplicate text. Sorry!)._

_ Exciting irl news! Remember how I got fired in November, then un-fired in January? Well, last week I got a new job so I quit! That was pretty darn satisfying to do, let me tell you that. My new job is literally 5 minutes from where I live, it's pretty and the work will be amazing. I'm so happy!_

_ Other exciting news - my parents have bought a cabin in Sweden. Who said long weekends by the lake, writing, walking in the forrest and sleeping? Yes please!_

_ Thanks for all your follows, alerts, faves and reviews! They are like fuel to the fire (I know, I'm hilarious) so do keep 'em coming!_

_ The song Cap refers to is Halo by Lewis Watson. Cap's been listening to the radio *nods*_


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer:

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

** Fuel to Fire**

oOo

** Chapter 14**

The avengers stared at each other in mute horror. Frigga's warning still rang in their ears, and Tony briefly wondered if vomiting fell under the category 'noise' because he was in desperate need of a bucket, asap. He sank, and noticed the others didn't fare much better. Natasha bore an unreadable expression, whilst Clint mouthed fuck over and over to himself. Steve looked at the floor, his jaw set and his clenched fist shaking from suppressed emotions.

There was no way in hell Tony wanted to go back in, but they hadn't found Loki. He sank something, reaching for his phone to quickly type in a message for the others.

Did you see him? it read as he showed the others the screen. They all shook their heads. Steve then gestured for Tony to hand over the phone and, despite the situation, Tony found himself smiling at how slowly and carefully Steve typed in his message for them. He had to buy the Ice Cap a smartphone.

We go back in. He will be hiding it read, and before Tony even managed to raise an eyebrow, Steve had closed his eyes again. Natasha took a deep breath, before following his lead. Clint looked unsure, and Tony felt like bailing. So of course they both closed their eyes at the same time.

Whatever memory Steve entered now bore no resemblance to the one they had left before. It was dark, yes, but it didn't look like the rocky planet Loki had been taken to and tortured on.

It was quiet. And dark. Steve looked around. To his surprise he could move his own field of sight, not that it did him much good. He was underground. Steve looked up. He could see the sky, dark and filled with distant stars. He frowned. It disappeared further and further from view, and Steve understood. He wasn't underground, not yet. But Loki was digging himself through the very rock, distancing himself from the surface. Once he realized this Steve sudden heard the laboured breath, quick and shallow. Steve stared into the darkness but couldn't make anything or anyone out. He looked up again. The sky had disappeared from with.

"_You have disappointed me, my son.._" the terrible voice of Thanos rung through the darkness, and Steve felt himself reach for his shield, only to remember he wasn't really present and so unable to do anything. The breathing disappeared as Loki held his breath. Unlike earlier Steve didn't feel the faint emotions from the memory. With the sound of Loki's panicked breathing gone, there was nothing but darkness and the looming presence of Thanos.

"_You are nothing._" the menacing voice of Thanos drilled itself through Steve's head. He felt the small hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"_Nobody searches for nothing.. you are alone.._" a terrible shot of fear shot right through Steve and he knew it wasn't him. How long he - they - sat there, in the darkness, he couldn't tell. Thanos seemed to have gone, but his grip on Loki seemed only to have tightened. A awful feeling of belief hang the air.

Suddenly, a bright light filled everything and Steve shielded his eyes from the hurting light. He couldn't see for a moment, and he blinked dazedly. And again. He was looking at himself, and the others. A second later, he was watching Loki.

The god lay in a pile of rubble, beaten halfway to hell. Steve felt very confused.. They weren't on the floor, but standing. And Bruce was there - hadn't they agreed he shouldn't be there?

"Major deja vu, guys." said Tony tiredly and Steve suddenly realised that they all - except Bruce - looked just as confused as he felt.

"This is several days ago." said Natasha, realization dawning on her. "When Loki woke up, after Hulk smashed him."

"So, we are still in? This is a memory?" asked Clint.

"Seems like it." said Tony, poking at Bruce who ignored them all. "But how come we are in our own bodies again? And why isn't Bruce looking as confused as us?"

"Friend Banner isn't present in this memory because mothers spell didn't affect him." said Thor. he sat beside Loki, but unlike what had happened those days ago, he didn't see to his brother. He looked at his friends. "But we are. You were all here and that is why you see it from your own perspective instead of Loki."

"I've seen terrible things, but no sight of Loki. Mother is removing all of the false memories, so we have to hurry."

"Well, you shouldn't have dived in without making a plan!" Tony growled, on edge from the previous memories.

Thor nodded, admitting his fault. "I apologize."

"Thor.." memory Loki whispered the thunder gods name, but unlike the last time all of them heard it clearly. He looked as if Thor was in front of him, not standing two meters away with the other avengers.

They all watched, again, as Loki threw up blood and desperately tried to deliver his message to Thor.

"This was the first time he broke completely free of Thanos' hold on him." commented Steve.

"At this time, Thanos had the Reality Gem." summarized Tony. "But he didn't get that until after the Chitauri invasion. How did he control Loki until that point?"

"Loki was controlled by the Mind Gem, just as I was." Clint said bluntly, his voice dark and his face unreadable. Thor snapped his head to the archer.

"What do you say!" he demanded, walking up to Clint. "For how long have you known?" roared Thor as he lifted Clint from the ground.

"Hey, easy!" Clint protested, but Thor didn't react as he continued to stare Clint down. "I've only known for like, 10 minutes! Didn't you see that blinding blue light from when the bas.. Loki was in Thanos' claws? That was the Mind Gem." Thor listened closely as Clint explained, and then sat the lighter man down again.

"Sorry for my hastiness, friend Clint. For a moment I thought.."

"Yeah yeah.." said Clint, massaging his manhandled arms. "No need, I understand where you come from." he rolled his shoulders, looking at the others.

"Loki looked.. ill when he came to home base, and made me and Selvig his slaves. I was ordered not to think about anything, but it's been coming back to me, slowly. It makes sense, though. If Loki was indeed tortured liked that by Thanos, and then enslaved by the Mind Gem, he wouldn't exactly be on top of his game once he reached Earth."

The others nodded their approval. "But, is it possible for Loki to be possessed by the Mind Gem _and_ use it at the same time?" asked Natasha doubtfully.

Clint shrugged. "Probably. Once a command has been placed, the stone doesn't have to be near the victim. You saw for yourself - you arrested Loki and the commands on me still remained strong enough for me to actually attack you, Nat."

Thor opened his mouth, only to be cut off when the memory suddenly disappeared around them. They remained in darkness, still in their own bodies.

"Loki's passed out." Tony added helpfully. "And I am still me... are all of you here too?" the different sounds of approval sounded oddly hollow as the empty space around them rang as the words were cast back at the speakers.

"Then why aren't we.. separate?" asked Steve, his voice low. They stood in absolute darkness and silence as none offered a answer.

"So." said Tony, turning towards where he remembered to have last seen Thor. "What now?"

Thor lifted Mjölnir and a soft lightning surrounded the hammer, casting light over the black space. The others looked away until their eyes adjusted to the sudden light.

"We walk." said Thor and began to walk. The others quickly followed, not wanting to be left out of the only light source.

"How come you have your hammer, when I don't even have my cellphone?" asked Tony sourly. He felt naked without his tech.

"Mjölnir is not an ordinary hammer. It follows me always, such is our bond."

Not really able to use that answer for anything, Tony sighed and looked around. They walked in silence, and nothing. Tony had seen many odd things in his life, but complete and utter darkness was quite disturbing.

_You are inside Loki's head. Of course it's disturbing. Especially that_! Tony froze in his tracks, as he suddenly spotted something red and very blood alike to his left. He stopped to suddenly that Clint walked straight into him. The two almost fell, and the commotion caused the others to stop and look. "Tony, stop fooling around." said Natasha.

"Am not!" Tony answered heatedly as he and Clint managed to catch themselves. "Look!" Tony pointed at what had caused him to stop.

They all followed his hand. Thor frowned, and kneeled down besides the blood. "This shouldn't be here.." he muttered, raising the makeshift hammer shaped torch higher to get more light. The bloody trail led away from them, into the darkness where it disappeared.

"What do you mean, 'it shouldn't be here?" asked Steve as he walked to Thor's side.

Thor stood, his eyes glinting in the electrical light. In this memory world, he looked every bit the god they sometimes forgot he was. Natasha stole a glance around, and noted to her great surprise that the other avengers looked at little different. Not much, but smaller. Weaker. She frowned, turning her attention back to Thor.

"We are in Loki's subconscious, aren't we?" she asked, knowing the answer but it wasn't exactly a feeling of success she experienced when Thor nodded.

"How'd you know?" asked Clint in wonder. Natasha pointed at Thor.

"He looks different. We all do. This isn't our bodies, this is Loki's perception of us. We, humans, look weaker while you, Thor, look.. greater?"

As the others looked down themselves and each other, noticing the differences, Natasha drummed her fingers against her crossed arms, staring at the bloody trail. She didn't know how, but she knew - just as Thor had said - that the blood shouldn't be there. "We should probably follow it." she said to Thor.

"This is so weird." said Tony as they changed direction, following the trail. "I look.. small!"

"It's only appearances, I'm sure you'll live." said Steve with a smile. Tony looked affronted.

"This is how Loki sees me! Not that I care, but what the hell? And for claiming for hate Thor's guts, Loki's subconsciousness seems to think a lot of him."

Thor walked in silence, but he was wondering the same thing. He looked as he had the day of his coronation. That fateful day that had put Loki and him on different paths.

"Why is Thor and Widow so worried about the blood?" asked Clint in a loud theatre whisper.

"It isn't as much the blood as it is what it represents." said Natasha darkly. "A wound to the mind."

"The mind reflects the reality. A wound to ones mind doesn't leave a visible wound, but it can still bleed." said Thor from the front, not looking at any of them. "Given time, most wounds heal. Some leave scars, some doesn't. And some..-" his voice fell "-..keeps bleeding. From here the blood of the wound affects the rest of the mind, sipping through cracks created by doubt and fear. It's poisonous."

The bloody trail became bigger, wider and more fresh the longer they followed it. Until Thor stopped dead in his tracks. The others looked past the mans big shoulders.

"Loki.." Thor whispered, and despite everything and with the possibility at zero, the others desperately hoped it wasn't Loki that stood in front of them. But it couldn't be any other.

He had his back to them. The flickering light from Mjölnir was reflected in his clothes, the same the god had worn during the invasion. A faint dripping sound could be heard. The lightning shone in the blood that dripped slowly from Loki's slack arms, unto the floor. Despite being bathed in light, Loki didn't turn. He simply stared ahead, unmoving.

"Hell that's creepy." said Clint, as Thor moved cautiously towards Loki, the others following slowly. They reached around, facing Loki. Thor sucked in his breath.

Loki's skin was blue. Marked with the strange runes of the Jotuns and his eyes shinning red and unseeing. He simply stood, looking at them without seeing. Thor gently placed Mjölnir on the floor, the lightning still surrounding it, allowing them to see.

It was strange. Loki's clothes were torn and damaged, as when Hulk had beaten him senseless. But other than his bleeding hands, he looked as they remembered. Except the eyes. They were blood red.

His blue skin shone darkly in the flickering light, and as Thor got closer he could the tears running down his brothers face. He didn't make a sound or movement as Thor laid his hands gently on Loki's shoulders.

"Brother?" asked Thor, his voice thick with emotions. When Loki didn't react, Thor dared a slight shake. Loki's wobbled back and fourth. He blinked, and the red eyes slowly drifted to Thor.

The thunder god managed a weak smile. "Dearest heart, what has happened to you?"

Loki looked confused at his brothers words. Thor hadn't called him that for centuries, not since they were small children playing in Frigga's garden.

"Why.." Loki's voice were a mere whisper, a faint sound with no will or power behind it as the rest of the sentence faded away. It caused Thor physical pain to see how his proud brother had been reduced to a mere shadow, a broken thing.

Rage boiled in him. Thanos would pay for what he'd done!

"I've come to get you." Thor kept his expression kind as Loki's eyes found his. The red eyes were dull, and emotionless as the words sunk into Loki. He blinked slowly, not reacting. Thor lifted Loki's bleeding hands, noticing how the blood seemed to leak from the very skin. "To make you better."

Tony felt like smacking his head at Thor's words. Surprisingly, Loki didn't snap. He didn't rage. He just stared at Thor like he was the most unusual thing he'd ever seen. Loki pulled his hands back, before turning his back to Thor without a word. Thor looked at his friends, his desperation written all over his face. Steve looked lost, and Tony really wasn't a great help in matters of the mind. God, they needed Bruce! Natasha and Clint looked between them, and something passed that gave Tony an uneasy feeling that there was some history he did not want to know.

Natasha walked by Thor, stopping in front of Loki. She gave him a brief look, before raising her hand, smacking him hard so it sounded through the empty halls. Steve gaped, Tony whinced, Clint nodded and Thor looked like he was having a heart attack. Loki's head had turned at the impact. He slowly turned it back, looking at Natasha. The dull gleam had left his eyes. They were narrow, and dangerous.

"Pull yourself together." she spat, loathing in her voice as she raised her hand again.

"Natasha, what are you doing!" exclaimed Thor, stepping forward and catching her arm before another hit found its target.

"Cognetic recalibration!" she bit out, her eyes never leaving Loki's. "The psychology kind." She smirked, disgust written in her face.

"You are weak." she said. "A coward. A beast. A monster!"

Every word hit home, and Loki's otherwise neutral expression morphed into one of hate even as he remained still.

"Natasha, cease this!" commanded Thor, anger in his voice. Natasha finally looked at Thor, a defiant look in her eyes.

The two avengers stared at each other in silence, Thor's light blue eyes piercing Natasha's gaze. None dared say a word as the two fought a silent battle.

"Why?" it sounded from Loki. His voice broken as he stared at Thor. The thunderer let go of Natasha.

"Brother, she didn't mean.."

"LOOK AT ME!" Loki screamed, and the words echoed around them, rising and falling in strength. Loki's breathing was quick, as he lifted his hands in front of him.

"I AM A MONSTER, YOU FOOL!" he yelled, staring at the blue skin with pure hatred in his eyes.

"You are not a monster." said Thor gently, as the others held their hands over their ears, the sheer volume bouncing off the walls making it beyond painful to listen to.

Loki grasped Thor's arms with both hands, starring at the thunder gods. His red eyes were wide, the pupils small, his breathing quick and shallow.

"But I am.." he whispered. "I am broken.. I am spoiled. I.. I am.."

Thor covered Loki's hands with his own. "You are Loki. My brother. Friggas son." Thor said, his voice full of truth. "See, you don't burn me."

Loki looked down. His blue jotun skin touched Thor, but no frostbites came. Skin met skin and none was harmed. As they looked, the skin turned back to the colour they knew, pale and white. Loki bit back a sob as he saw the hated blue shade disappear, and he sank to his knees, his hands still trapped by Thor's. The big warrior kneeled down before his brother, and gently put his arms around him.

"Reality awaits you, brother. The real one." said Thor, placing a kiss on Loki's brow.

"Be brave enough to face it." The thunder god whispered. Loki didn't respond, he merely hung to Thor, his hands still bleeding and his eyes closed.

* * *

"This is great and all, but how do we get out?" asked Tony the others as the minutes had passed on and nothing else happened. They stood a few meters from the two gods. Loki was mumbling something they couldn't hear and Thor answered him patiently. The confused and pained tone of Loki's did however not escape their notice. Natasha wore a frown as she looked at them.

"Perhaps I hit him too hard.."

"Doubt it - didn't even leave a mark." said Clint reassuringly, padding her shoulder.

"Some would question the logic in smacking an unstable psychotic god, but that's just my opinion." Tony commented, give her a side glance. The Widow shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Thankfully. I would hate to get stuck inside Loki's head." said Steve, looking at Clint. "Even you wouldn't want that."

"No fucking way, man! The guy is done. What Thanos did to him, it fucked him up real bad." the archer replied, a disgusted look on his face. At the mention of Loki's torture in the hands of the mad Titan brought dark frowns on their faces.  
Tony felt his own trauma in the back of his head, and he hit himself with a fist. Stop it! He commanded himself, teethes clenched.  
The others looked at Tony, worried. They all knew the genius had his own demons to fight. Steve remembered Bucky; how his friend had been used by Hydra. He took a deep, calming breath. Torture was wrong.  
Thor raised himself, leaving Loki to his mumblings and turned to his friends.

"We have found Loki. We must get him to wake, but none I say can convince him to leave this darkness." said the god unhappily.

"Wonder why." said Tony, looking at the impervious darkness with distrust. "I can't imagine he harbours many good memories in here. I would want to leave as fast as I could."

"I can help." said a new voice behind them. They turned as one, watching Frigga walk towards them. She looked as if she'd cried but her expression was strong and kind. Thor walked to her, taking her hands in his. She squeezed her oldest hands, giving him a smile and gratitude. "You found him." she said, looking at the blue, bleeding form of Loki. Her eyes held nothing but motherly love.

"He has given up mother, he..!" said Thor, frustration in his voice. Frigga raised her hand, effectively silencing her son.

"You love your brother, Thor but you must remember that he is not you. Force is not in his nature, and even if your intentions are pure, it comes across as wrong for him."

"Could've fooled me.." mumbled Clint behind them, too low for Frigga to hear. Tony smirked.

"To get him out requires great thinking and patience, Loki's own virtues. Not force. You only fuel his fears." said Frigga, letting go of Thor's hands. She turned to the avengers. "Thank you for aiding Thor. I'll send you back now, with Thor. I'll remain here until I convince Loki that he, for all he has survived, still are strong enough to face the dangers looming in."  
Before anyone could say a word, Thor had already opened his mouth to protest, had Frigga raised her hands.

A golden light grew from her palms, and they all shielded their eyes as they felt themselves being pulled out as they saw Frigga turn to the kneeling Loki.

* * *

_Last chapter before my vacation.. Your reviews and follows and faves keeps me smiling and writing, but I can defiantly say that I won't post another for a few weeks at least. Maybe one before Age of Ultron premieres here in Denmark April 22th, to celebrate! (If I can find the time).  
_

_Fan/guest: not need to threaten me with Thanos ;) I promise I will finish the story which, by the way, now is the longest I've written yet! It's morphing completely out of my control, so who can tell what we'll end up with in the end._

_A little fun fact, the story is inspired by the song Fuel to Fire by Agnes Obel, a danish singer/songwriter. It's hauntingly beautiful. You can find it on youtube, and I highly recommend it for rainy days._


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer:

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 15**

Tony opened his eyes with a groan. He hadn't signed up for this, no fucking way. He had signed up for housing a crazy war criminal, NOT playing hide and seek with said crazy god in the fuckers own mind. He rubbed his eyes, wondering when his life turned this bizarre. He could hear the others shift around, and turned his attention to the team. They looked beat, tired. But okay. Except Thor. Tony felt a sigh coming. Of course Thor looked positively depressed. He was staring at the still unconscious Loki and Frigga. Steve walked to the thunder god, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I think we should leave. Your mother seems to have things under control."

"Not to mention that she basically said, that your presence makes Loki even worse." Clint pointed out. He yelped when Natasha hit him, but Thor merely nodded, and stood, allowing Steve to lead him from the room. The others quickly followed, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire once Loki woke up.

Steve led Thor to the kitchen, and placed a cup of coffee in the hands of the god. Thor nodded his thanks, and continued to stare at the dark liquid.

It was night, around 00.00, but nobody even thought about going to sleep. Bruce had remained awake, joining them as soon as they reappeared from Loki's room. The Avengers shared unsure looks, as they joined the god by the table. Tony felt a migraine coming, and poured himself a drink before settling down opposite of Thor. He pushed the bottle across the table, Clint catching it with easy and a grateful grunt as he poured the whiskey into his coffee.

"The torture." said Natasha, breaking the silence. Thor's hands began to shake, spilling the hot drink on his hands but he didn't even flinch. His eyes were dark and, Tony gulped, dangerous. He couldn't remember ever seeing Thor's eyes that cold.

"Thanos will pay for what harm he has done to Loki." said Thor, not explaining just how he intended to that. Instead the ominous promise hang above them, and the Avengers saw, for the real first time, the warrior prince of Asgard. The blood thirst that had made the vikings famous and feared on Earth. Nobody knew what to say. So of course Tony opened his mouth.

"Sure." he took a large gulp of his drink before continuing. "Good luck with that. How will you do that, exactly? You said Thanos is some place beyond the Universe. I get you have your magical space bridge, but still. You can only go where your gatekeeper can see you, right?"

Thor's shoulders sank, but the look remained. "I'll find a way."

"Whilst you plot death and destruction to a titan - which is going to a tough blow, my guess - I for one could really need some therapy." Tony downed his drink. frowning as the feeling of falling through space suddenly made his stomach disappear. He felt bile in his throat and quick bit it down. _Gods_..

"What happened?" asked Bruce, the appointed doctor. He looked like he wanted to ask any other question, and Tony felt like hugging him to death. Bruce was good to talk to, even if he wasn't 'that' kind of doctor.

"The usual." replied Clint from behind his cup of coffee/whiskey. "Daddy issues. Rage. Humiliation. Torture. Fucking space war lords." he sat down the cup.

"Loki is so fucked backwards it's a miracle he actually hasn't committed suicide."

"He's tried plenty of times in the last few days." Natasha reminded him, her voice grave. Tony sank something. He had experienced the fall from the bridge from Loki's point of view. Had the others also?

Natasha looked at Thor. "You threw him - me - from the bridge, into the Void. Just like he said." she said, voice neutral. Tony blinked. Wait, what?

Thor looked absolutely horrified, as he jumped to his feet. "How _DARE_..!"

"Hold on!" yelled Tony, gaining their attention. "I saw the same thing, only Loki let go himself. He let go of the spear and fell."

Thor stared at Tony, and then at Natasha before sitting back down. "You saw the truth, friend Stark." the Thunder god said, looking at Natasha. "You saw a false memory, planted by Thanos."

Natasha nodded. "I thought as much. I just wanted your reaction." she then shuddered. "It felt so real. I _knew _it was wrong, but I still believed it. For a moment."

"What did you see?" asked Bruce, looking at Steve and Clint. The two stared at the table in front of them.

"Torture." said Clint curtly, not elaborating. Steve nodded. "Me too. I saw some things in Germany back in the day, but this.." the captains voice trailed off.

Bruce looked at Thor, who shook his head. "I went deeper from the beginning. I didn't get stuck in memories." he looked apologetic at the others.

"Forgive me, I forgot you didn't know how to escape the memories."

Clint laughed, loudly. "This is a fucking joke!" he snapped, looking at Thor. "You may be a god and immortal, and what shit not, but dude - we just saw your so called brother tortured, beyond repair! And you apologize? What the fuck!"

"Clint." said Natasha, her voice calm. Thor looked like a mix of anger and hurt.

"What will you have me do! Time was sort, and in my haste I forgot you don't know our ways. You are unharmed, are you not?"

"Not really." said Tony weakly, eying his glass. "The picture of Loki getting his skin ripped of his bones is going to stick around for a while."

Bruce stared between the yelling and arguing avengers, slowly beginning to fully understand what had happened.

"Is that what happened?" he asked, looking at Thor, who avoided is gaze. "You saw Thanos torture Loki?"

"We saw him fucking kill him, only to bring him back. Over and over." said Tony, his voice disgusted. He pushed the glass away. He needed Pepper.

"Nat was right, though. Thanos made him his 'son', one of his soldiers. It meant something to him that Loki was from Asgard." said Clint.

"Of course it would." said Thor, his voice pained. "It was Odin, Asgard, that banished Thanos. To have a son of Odin on his hands.." Thor shook his head, unable to even think what Thanos would've done to Loki in all that time his brother was his prisoner.

"To have Loki as one of his broken soldiers will have caused Thanos unimaginable pleasure. To destroy an asgardian.." Thor suddenly threw the coffee mug, in a fit of anger.. It shattered against the wall, but none looked. They all looked at Thor. "I failed Loki." he whispered brokenly.

"Yes." Bruce agreed.

The blunt answer caused the others to stare, and Thor to forget his lament and stare at the doctor.

"You failed Loki. But not then. It was way before that. It's not your fault that Thanos picked him out of the Void. It's not your fault he tortured him."

Thor only stared, mouth hanging slightly open with what could only be shock.

Bruce looked at the others. "You said Thanos tortured Loki? Did he give a reason?"

"Loki refused to say who he was." answered Tony after a thought.

"So Thanos punished him. Did he say his name?" asked Bruce. They all nodded.

Bruce looked thoughtful. "Was the revalation of his name followed by more torture?"

A brief image of Loki's abused body flashed across their eyes, and they nodded again. "It was not torture." said Clint, his voice low.

"I know torture. Shield doesn't use it, but you see things. This was something else.."

"What was it?" asked Bruce, but no one answered.

* * *

Frigga opened her eyes. She then slowly began to remove the white wrappings the mortal had placed around Loki's head, to shield his wounds.  
The wounds around his eyes were terrible, but clean and healing.

She smiled sadly as she removed a few strands of black hair from his face, and gently continued stroking his brow with her hand.

"Wake, my son. My heart, my dearest Loki."

It went on for a long time. She sat in silence, except for her own words. Hours went by, and light slowly appeared on the horizon of the mortal realm.

The slight tremor of his eyelids were all the warning she got. Her hand fell still, and remained on his brow. She smiled gently at him, although her very soul cried with distress.

Loki's eyes were open. Blood red, and wide. He didn't look at her at first, he merely stared at the ceiling.

She withdrew her hand, and took his hand in his. The movement got his attention, and his gaze shifted to her. She smiled.

"Loki.." she only said his name, but her love for her youngest burned with a fire so fierce that it was all that was needed.

Her soul cried, but her face remained strong as she saw the confusion leave Loki's face and pure fear take it's place.

"Mother..." his voice was nothing like she remembered it, but she would recognize it anywhere. It was hollow. It was wrong.

"Rest, me heart. I will remain by your side."

"N..no.." he whimpered, attempting to pull back his hand and failing miserably. Frigga felt her brow frown despite her intentions. Loki didn't try to pull away again, he only stared at her, his blood red Jotun eyes mirroring her own reflection.

"You are safe." she said, her voice steady. "Your mind are your own."

He blinked, as if trying to understand her words. He licked his dry lips, gasping for the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

Her thumb gently stroked his hand. She smiled, her eyes truthful and kind.

"You are Loki."

He said nothing. She gave him time. She'd pulled him out from the depths of his own hell. Now he needed to remember the good. She let him close his eyes and turn away his face without letting the fear show in her eyes. Perhaps he saw it anyway. Her youngest had ways of readings others like they were words in a book.

"You will remember the good, dear heart." she said gently. _'And when you do'.. _she thought, the sadness in her eyes invisible to Loki's closed eyes. '_you'll have to remember the bad._'

* * *

Clint woke with a massive headache and he felt certain Thor's hammer had somehow found it's way into his brain. He winched in pain, remembering the night before, as the sun unkindly drilled holes into his head.

Figuring have Loki being tortured infused nightmares wouldn't do them any favours, he and Tony had emptied the bottle of whiskey. And possibly another, or at least a good part of it. Natasha had disappeared somewhere with a bottle of vodka and no one had been foolish enough to follow the Russian. Steve had gone to the training grounds, no doubt kicking the shit out of Tony's equipment. Thor had remained seated with Bruce, talking. Clint had to give it to the doctor - he may not be 'that kind of doctor' but apparently he was good to talk to any way. Thor needed a voice of reason, and not just a friendly voice. A professional voice, one that told the hard truth. Banner delivered both.

The archer had no idea when he and Tony had passed out, but seeing as sun was creeping through the windows and into his head, if he had to guess, around 2. Which meant they had gotten around four hours of alcohol infused sleep.

Still, better than nothing.

Clint sat up, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms above his head, yawning. Tony sat in the chair beside him, still asleep, head resting on the table. Thor and Bruce had left sometime during the night. Nat was most like awake, the same with Steve.

Clint took a moment to wonder when his life turned this crazy, drinking with Tony Stark while gods and gamma-dudes had a heart to heart beside him. He couldn't exactly pinpoint the exact event, but he had a sneaking feeling life had been getting weird since that night in New Mexico.

He was rubbing his neck, stifling a yawn when the door opened and Natasha entered. She had most like drunk way beyond what was healthy the night before, and still she managed to look like she'd gotten to bed in a reasonable hour, with a cup of tea and a book. He envied that, but as she got closer he noticed her eyes were a little dull. It comforted him, somehow.

"Morning." he said, still yawning. She nodded, before kicking Tony's chair. He shot straight up, eyes open, before closing them with a wail and a string of curse words.

"And morning to you too, Stark." she replied, a smug smirk on her face. Clint felt grateful that he'd woken before she entered - not doubt she'd done the exact same thing to him.

Tony didn't reply, not in any fashion that's polite to repeat. She smiled, and sat down two cups of coffee in front of them. Clint blinked, before hastily accepting the hot liquid. It brought life to his sleepy mind. It did Tony favours too - it shut him up for a few seconds.

Clint eyed his friend, knowing there was a reason for the unpleasant waking. And he was most likely not going to like it.

"Loki's awake."

He was right. Fuck dammit.

Tony blinked, placing down his cup and his anger from the harsh waking momentarily forgotten. "Awake? Since when?"

"Since around four." Natasha informed. "Frigga managed to pull him out, figuratively speaking. He's awake, but haven't said much yet."

"So, we are not in a hurry?" asked Tony. Natasha frowned. "No, why?"

"Great. I'm taking a shower. Keep that pretty little head of his secure and safe until I'm somewhat human again."

* * *

"I'll take it back - he's _not _pretty." whispered Tony with a loud stage voice. He and Clint had, after breakfast and a shower, gone to the room where they'd left the two gods several hours ago. Thor was nowhere to be seen, but Bruce and Frigga was just as they'd left them - sitting and lying.

The two hungover avengers look faintly ill at the sight of Loki's abused face. Skin and flesh hang from around his eyes, his _blood red_ eyes. Loki stared, his eyes unseeing and glaced, and it was beyond creepy.

Frigga was speaking lowly, and gently. They couldn't understand her words. Bruce sat opposite her, observing. He stood up when the two others entered, quickly making the distance to them.

"I take it Natasha told you?" he asked lowly. Clint nodded, looking at the doctor. Tony couldn't take his eyes of Loki.

"Why is his eyes _red_?" asked Tony, this time lowly. Bruce shrugged.

"It is his natural eye colour, according to Frigga anyway. She says it's most like due to stress or shock, that he's lost his grip around his appearance. She hasn't told him."

"And Thor?" asked Tony, finally taking his eyes of the god - who ignored them anyway. Who knew you could miss long monologues about world domination?

"With Steve. Frigga thought it best he wouldn't see Loki just yet. For both of thems sake."

None of them said anything, but they could just imagine Thor's hurtful expression. Then Tony gave a muffled laugh.

"Big guy told off by his mother.." Bruce shook his head. "Not now."

"Right, right. Sorry. So, what do we do now? Can he talk?"

"He's spoken a little. Frigga is doing some kind of healing spell, and hopefully he'll be more informative when she's done."

Tony nodded, lost in thought. Frigga had removed the bandages from Loki's head, and despite the wounds looking much better than they had yesterday, it was still pretty ghastly. The red eyes (Tony seriously doubted he would get used to that) were staring into the ceiling, emotionless.

"What's he said?" asked Clint, eyes settling on the motionless Loki.

Bruce looked unsure, and cast a look at Frigga. She didn't notice – or perhaps she couldn't stop her string of asgardian magic words. Bruce showed his head to the left, indicating the two to follow him.

In the hallway, he started walking, Tony and Clint beside him.

"He was begging her to kill him." Bruce then said, voice low "To end him, was his exact words."

"He asked his own mother to kill him?" asked Tony, his eyebrows raised. Seemed like Loki kept on finding new ways to make this even weirder and more tragic by the hour.

Bruce nodded, opening the door that let to the living room. Steve and Natasha looked up when the three of them entered. Thor was also there, his back to them as he overlooked the city.

"You seem him?" asked Steve, as Clint and Tony sat down.  
"The tragic mess from the hell of the Universe? Yep, just did." sighed Tony, before quickly looking at Thor.

"No offence, thunderboy."

The god didn't seem to hear him, he merely gazed out the window, apparently lost in thought.

"To end him..." repeated Clint, voice wondering. He looked at the others. "Any idea why he want's to be 'ended' now he's finally free from Thanos?" he asked, only to receive a shrug.

"Loki's afraid." Thor said, turning around to look at his teammates.

"When Loki woke for the second time, he woke from a nightmare. He was terrified, beyond reasoning. Mother used her powers to calm him, and I believe she's still doing that."  
Tony raised a hand "I thought removing all the false memories would stop his constant freak outs?"

"Ideally, yes it would. But even so, the real memories are beyond what we can imagine – you saw so yourself. And that was but a taste of it. Loki was Thanos prisoner for years." answered Thor, his fisted hands turning white. "He is broken."

Tony leaned back, arms crossed. "Yay.. so he's still crazy?" he asked, looking at Bruce.  
"If you mean by crazy that he suffers severe trauma and angst, not to mention the stress the constant mind control has taken on him, then yes – still crazy." the doctor answered.

* * *

_I know, a bit naive of me to think that shield doesn't use torture. But, I chose to believe that Fury would oppose to the idea of getting information that way._

_I had the best trip around Iceland! Drove through crazy mountains, snowstorms, stonestorms (yeah), saw whales (which is like, big!) and all in all had the time of my life. I'm so going live there some day._

_I've seen Age of Ultron three times so far. And I love it! I won't spoil anything, but prepare for all kinds of feels! For all!_

_Thank you for all your reviews, follows and faves! It means so much to me!_


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer:

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 16**

"_Master, we have lost our connection with the Jotun spawn."  
Thanos smiled, never once looking at his servant. The smile was cruel, cold and calculating._

_The Other waited, head bowed. After a few moments the titan raised himself, arms posed behind his back as he stared into deep space._

"_My son appears to have come in contact with his so called family." Thanos chuckled, a deep horrifying sound. "Don't worry, my servant – he will not forget about us, even without the connection." Thanos raised his hand, gently toying with red stone in his hand. "Reality is like a mirror – one can try and puzzle it back together, but once smashed you'll always see the cracks."  
Thanos closed his fists around the reality gem, closing of the subtle red light. "My son will show us the way into Asgard. All we need is patience."  
The Other smiled.  
_

* * *

Loki blinked, consciousness suddenly pouring into his dry, unseeing eyes. He found himself staring at the ceiling. He frowned. He didn't remember opening his eyes.  
"Are you awake, Loki?" asked a gently voice beside him. His head snapped so quickly, his neck made a noise of protest. Frigga, his mother, sat beside him. He couldn't keep the shock from his face.

"..Mother?" he asked, disbelieving. His voice sounded hoarse and very unlike his normal soft spoken words. He couldn't recognize his own voice. It had none of it's usual elegance, only broken pieces remained. He could scarcely remember his own voice these days.  
Frigga smiled. "Yes, my son, it is I."

Loki stared for a few seconds. He then darted right of the bed, eyes never leaving her, legs shaking beneath him as he fumbled for the wall to support his weak body. His eyes were playing tricks, every colour was too bright, too detailed. He took a stuttering breath, finally steadying himself against the wall opposite Frigga who looked at him with worry.  
"Why are you here?" he hadn't meant to, but his voice came out as a hiss. Frigga remained seated, staring at her youngest, with the eternal calm of the Allmother. Once long ago her calm had soothed Loki when he felt out of sorts, looking at his mothers elegant features as she listened to him and what troubled him. But that was before all the lies. His eyes narrowed at the thought.

Frigga remained the stoic picture of calm, but wonder had found its way into her gaze.

"My son needed me." she answered, standing up, arranging her skirts around her. "And so I came."

Loki laughed. The movement caused a few of his facial wounds to open, making his face a grotesque mask of blood and humour. The sickly sound unnerved Frigga slightly.

"I doubt Thor has needed your help for centuries." Loki sneered, wiping the blood from his eyes.

Frigga frowned at his harsh words. "I wasn't speaking of Thor, I was speaking of you, Loki."

Loki bared his teeth, eyes dashing to the nearest surface that would show his reflection. The hated blood red eyes stared back. He snarled, eyes once again resting on the Allmother.

"And that may be, but Thor has relied on the help of your father whilst.."

"HE'S NOT MY FATHER!" Loki screamed, as his eyes transformed into their old, blue colour. The bright blue, a narrow line of colour, pupils far too wide and dilated, in the midst of all the blood and flesh did nothing good for his appearance. His message delivered, he turned his back to her, hands resting against the wall, stubbornly, resentment present in every ounce of his posture.  
Frigga gave him a look, her head slightly tilted. When he didn't reply or move, she sighed.

"I will leave you to rest." she informed him, turning to the door.

He never replied to her.

_How dared she.. how dared she come!_

He felt panic rise up as the door shut behind him. What had he said? What had he done? What did she know?

Despite his best intensions, Loki eased himself back onto the bed, too exhausted to pretend he wasn't. He'd been under Frigga's magic when he woke. Much could be said about the Allmother, but she didn't use her powers unless needed. Loki closed his eyes, careful not to disturb the wounds around his eyes. He had no memory of being injured, only.. away.

He had dreamt of his imprisonment. Of _him_. Had he made these wounds in his sleep? Was that why Frigga had come all the way from Asgard.

He felt a pang of regret at his words. But the truth in them were undeniable, and he refused to feel sorry for her. He sat for a moment, forcing himself not to think. When he opened his eyes again, they were cold and collected.

Frigga was on Midgard, a place she'd never before bothered to visit. She would most likely not had made the trip alone, which meant that Thor was in the building.

The oaf had left him behind, in this blasted realm! The resentment burned through Loki like a hot fire, rapid and out of control. How dared he, when it was he..

Loki's train of thought suddenly stopped, the air stopped in his lungs and he could _feel_ his eyes widen. He remembered, he saw his memory of falling from the Bifrost.

Only he wasn't thrown off. He let go.

He gasped, his lungs demanding air and fell forward. So, that was why Frigga had come. She'd altered his memories, made Thor the sun and stars as always while Loki was forever in the wrong.

The feeling of utter betrayal ran through his body, and despite his best intensions he felt tears in his eyes. Tears of anger or so he convinced himself as he felt his already shredded heart loose yet another leaf of hope. "How dare she.." he whispered, his nails piercing the skin of his palms.  
He remained seated in silence, as the many memories came back to him and he found them all to be wrong and false. Time passed and he did nothing but breath hollow as he felt himself getting lost in his thoughts as his anger was fuelled by the altered memories he now found. He remembered everything but they were wrong. The fire of the humiliation by having his mind destroyed by Asgard lost its fury until only embers remained, burning slowly as a fire in rain.

_How could you? _The question had burned itself to his mind, his thoughts. Loki rested his head against his knees, breathing shallow and laboured. The embers flared, fuelled by the lingering pain. Smoke rose from the ashes and Loki looked up. The pained sorrow had left his features as he slowly, staggering left the bed. He moved slowly towards the door, his chained hands in front of him.

* * *

Thor sat with Frigga in the living room, with the rest of the avengers around them. Frigga had returned from Loki's chambers, informing her eldest that his brother was awake and needed to be alone. Thor didn't say anything and Frigga didn't elaborate.

But Thor knew his mother. He might not be a great reader of people, but he would know her anguish any time in any place. Loki had said something, something that had shocked her. Thor had expected as much when Loki woke, his young brothers sharp and unforgiving tongue would be in need of a prey. But, Thor had expected its wrath to be aimed at him, not their mother and her kindness.

"Wonder how long this time until he tries to kill himself again." mumbled Tony, eyes down his scotch glass. Pepper shot him a look, her eyes begging him to behave. He mentally shrugged.

The asgardian queen had, as she'd promised, thanked Pepper for looking after Loki when Thor was indisposed. Pepper, being used to deal with all kinds of leaders, had gracefully (although a bit flustered which had caused Tony to smile – it _was_ the queen of the Universe, after all) accepted the queens thanks.

Tony sighed into his now empty glass. All the formality aside, it was a lot more boring having three gods staying than he'd thought it be. It had been almost an hour since Frigga joined them and to be honest Tony had expected half the tower to be blown up by now. Or at the very least for their little precious snowflake to have had a screaming match with either himself or his brother.  
But no. Nothing. Bruce had made the resident Queen a cup of mead which she'd gratefully accepted. Apparently the doctor had read up on viking history in his spare time and while Thor had informed them numerous times that asgardians were not vikings, it would seem that the vikings had adopted a lot of their customs (among them always offering your guest beer or mead) from the gods. Thor couldn't debate with that, and Frigga had merely observed the debate with humour in her eyes.

They'd settled down afterwards, Frigga and Thor way too relaxed for Tony's liking. Jarvis was keeping an eye on Loki but the AI hadn't reported anything yet and Tony was beginning to entertain the idea that Loki had somehow hacked his butler, when Thor spoke (apparently waiting for your mother to finish her drink was another custom. Or something..).

"Did Loki say anything when he woke?" to Thors credit, he tried to sound casual.

"He did." answered Frigga, as she sat down her glass. She considered her words carefully before elaborating.  
"Your brother still suffers, Thor. I fear the impact Thanos has had on his mind has caused him to doubt everything." she explained, her voice pained.

Thor frowned, hearing the sadness in her voice. "Mother, what did he say to you?" he asked, taking one of her hands in his.

Frigga smiled a tight smile, absent-mindedly patting her sons hand. "That is between me and your brother, Thor. Please don't ask me to repeat his words."

"And why _not_?" the new voice caused them all to jump straight up, turning towards it, bracing themselves. They all knew that voice.

Loki was standing in front of them. His arms were in front of him, courtesy of the chains around his wrist. His shoulders lightly slouched forward, his head tilted upward so he could look see them. The wounds around his eyes were terrible, not no where near as terrible as the look in his eyes and the sneer on his face. It spoke of despair. Bruce shifted slightly, backing away.  
Insanity was dripping of Loki. Only it was different. This was Loki as he was. No mind gem, no reality gem. This was Loki at his most vulnerable. Bruce looked sideways, catching Steve's eyes. The doctor saw the understanding in the captains eyes.

Loki was like a caged beast. And nothing was more dangerous than a monster trapped in a corner.

"Jarvis, why didn't you tell me Loki was out of bed?!" Tony inquired angrily, staring at the wild looking god with hesitation.  
_"You asked me to inform you if he did anything dangerous. He has not."_

"A Loki out of bed is dangerous, J!" Tony yelled, showing Pepper behind him in the proces.

"_Noted for future reference, sir._" Tony groaned at his AI, before turning his attention to the problem at hand. He felt Pepper behind him, resting her hands against his shoulders, and he cursed himself.

Loki licked his dry lips. "Are they too shameful? Too true?" he asked, his voice oddly calm as he stared at his mother. He sneered. "I _loathe_ you."

Thor raised his hammer. "Do NOT speak to our mother like that, Loki!" he said, voice dangerous.

"She is _not_ my mother." Loki sneered, shifting his gaze to Thor. "She is a liar, a fraud. Just like you, you mindless moron!" Loki absent-mindedly tested the chains, the soft rattling sound mixing with his laboured breaths.

"How dare.." Thor began, but was cut off by Frigga who stood up. Her eyes were pained, but her face showed her eternal calm.

"My dear Loki, what has happened to you?" she asked, drawing Loki's attention back from Thor.

"You tell me." Loki walked forward, further into the light. His eyes were sharp like a razor, the numerous cuts and bruises contrasting against his pale skin. He walked all the way to the table, stopping right in front of Frigga. He didn't even notice Steve grab his arm, stopping him from reaching Frigga and Tony and Pepper who stood beside her. "You've been into my mind." he whispered, and it seemed like something broke in his eyes. His jaw shaking, eyes burning, he stared her dead in the eye.

"How _could_ you?" he asked, voice broken.

Frigga looked at Steve. "Please, captain, let go of my son."

Steve looked doubtful, but he let go. Loki never even looked his way. Frigga returned her attention to Loki, her heart crying with anguish.

"I've been into you mind, that is true. But only to remove the memories so wrongfully placed there by Thanos." she explained kindly.

Loki stared, his expression dead. Then, a sickly smile spread across his face.

"So, my memories are now those you saw fit to remain?" he asked, rage rising in his voice, the smile slipping off as his eyes started to burn with ire.

"Your memories are your own." Frigga answered. "Believe me."

Loki backed away, disbelief mixing with the rage. "How can I?" asked he, the voice of a broken man. "How can I believe you, when all you ever do is to LIE!" the last word was hissed.

"You are all self-righteous liars, surrounding yourself with your warriors before uttering your lies."

"You came to us." Tony piped in. "We are not warriors, we are merely enjoying a cup of coffee. You are the deranged liar in this room, pretty face." Loki eyes snapped to Tony who almost regretted speaking up once he found himself on the receiving end of the mad stare. Might as well run with it.

"You are the only one named the God of Lies. You lie so well, you don't even know it yourself."

"Loki, please stand down." Thor begged, stepping forward. "You are hurting yourself."

Loki laughed. The same sick laugh they heard before, and yet is was more terrible. "I'm beyond hurting, beyond pain." he answered.  
"Doesn't look like that to me." said Clint, expression blank. Loki eyes drifted to the archer.

"My pet.." the deranged god said, his voice pleasant and silky smooth. It caused shivers to run down their spines. Clint didn't buy it.  
"Says Thanos bitch." replied Clint dryly. The effect was instant. The smile dropped from Loki's face, his eyes narrowed as surprise was written all over his face. Clint looked deeply unimpressed, ignoring Thor's protests and Frigga's pained outburst. "You are a coward." the archer spat.

Coward. The word rang in Loki's mind, over and over, like a bell. _Coward_. _Weak_. _Monster_!

He could feel Thanos' touch, the terrible feeling of being ripped apart body and soul. His memories.  
Something clicked. His eyes drifted back to Frigga, ignoring his once slave as the terrible truth hit him.

"You.. let them into my mind?"

"We needed to find you, Loki. You don't remember this, but you were lost in your own subconscious. In order to save you, Thor and his friends assisted me in locating you."

"We saw you being tortured." said Steve. "We are sorry for you."

Loki's eyes shot to the captain, and before anybody could react, Loki had grabbed him by the neck, their faces inches apart. Steve, his breathing a little troubled but otherwise fine, quickly raised his hands to reassure the others as they stepped forward to intervene.

"You are _sorry_?" the words were spoken with such venom that Steve found himself regretting his words of compassion – not something that happened often. The captain could feel Loki's breath, and looked calmly into the wide, scared – because he saw fear – eyes. "You may have seen some fractures of my treatment at the hands of the mad titan, but do not for even a second begin to think that you are in any position to feel anything for me!" Loki sneered, the need to be understood overwhelming him.

"I was ripped apart. Do you even comprehend what that kind of pain feels like? I was fed to the Chitauri. He let them hunt my, and cut me apart." Loki's breathing had again become shallow as he walked down the memories of his captivity. Steve felt something in him recoil, his imagination unwillingly supplying the images. Loki smiled his sickly smile, leaning closer to the captain. "I was asked things I would never answer. The titan wanted to know sooo much, and I wouldn't tell him anything."  
"You told him your name." Steve inquired. Loki's hold around his neck suddenly disappeared and the god of mischief took a step back, an almost bored look upon his face.

"What is in a name, captain? Nothing.. my name is a lie, and so it hold no worth to the titan. But oh, he knew where I was from. He knew who claimed to be my family." Loki's eyes drifted to Frigga, who had tears running down her face. "He knew the lie. So in exchange for my answers, he would give me his knowledge. Of the hidden Universe, of everything.. That was the deal we made" the look upon Loki's face had become almost day-dreamingly. He whispered passionately. "Oh, how beautiful it all was. So vast, so great. I knew I had nothing I could offer him in return. So, I let him speak. I learned, for years I learned."  
Loki's voice drifted off, his eyes unseeing, glazed by madness. They all watched him in silence. As the moments passed and Loki didn't respond, Thor stepped forward.

"You listened to him, even when you knew you couldn't offer anything in return?"

Loki smiled absent-mindedly, eyes resting on his brother with mild humour. "It prolonged my death. For I was certain he would kill me.. and when he stopped talking and I didn't reply." Loki began to shake violently, and Thor quickly grabbed him, keeping him from falling to the floor. Loki didn't fight him, he just stared a head, lost in his tragic memories. The avengers felt sick to their core. Tony had his arms around Pepper, who were staring at the mad Loki in fearful amazement.

"He used every fibre of my being to bring me pain.. and when that didn't made me talk, he went for my mind." Loki looked at Frigga. "Playing with it. Making me see things. You. Asgard. Sigyn.. everything I've ever known was used to bring me closer to insanity." Loki chuckled. "Thanos didn't realise I was tricking him. Amongst my screams, my pitiful begging for mercy, I kept him at bay. I kept him from the paths, the hidden paths. I kept him from the Universe." Loki grasped Thor's arm, staring at the thunder god, his eyes wild. "Thanos seeks to enter. He knows there are ways."

"And you know these." Thor nodded, attempting to keep Loki's shaking form steady. Frigga kneeled in front of her two sons, her expression painful at her sons tale.

"How did you keep yourself from telling?" asked Natasha.

"I ripped out my tongue from my own mouth, with my bare hands." Loki replied in a bored voice. "It kept me from screaming. That bothered the Chitauri, the lack of screams.."

Loki suddenly blinked, and with a sneer he twisted himself free from Thor's arms. "Don't touch me." Loki met Frigga's tearful eyes, and found himself to avert her gaze.

"What happened then?" asked Steve cautiously. Loki stared at the floor.  
"I was done. Thanos claimed me as one of his, and despite my success of keeping the knowledge of Yggdrasil from him, he still knew I mastered the cube's powers of inter-dimensional travel. I was sent here, to bring him the Tesseract." Loki shifted his eyes to Frigga, his expression hurtful.

"I believed you would come for me.." he whispered brokenly. "Why, why didn't you come!"

"Oh, my child." Frigga cried, stepping back instead of forward, unable to bring herself close to her once beloved youngest. "We thought you dead, lost in between the worlds."

"And dead I am." Loki replied, his eyes once again hard and cold. "You and all of Asgard killed me long ago with your careless lies and deceit. I am not your kin." his eyes locked with Friggas, merciless and cruel as he delivered his final words.  
"I hate you."

* * *

_I don't plan on this being a 'Loki is so misunderstood, and everybody loves him' story. It's more of an 'Loki's been through some shit, but he makes stupid decisions and suffers for it' kind of story (keeping it as close to canon as possible.) More of that in later chapters. That being said, it's not like he won't get some form of redemption (again, think canon). Sigyn wont be a part of the story, but I thought she deserved to be mentioned.  
_

_I know it's in no way special to viking culture to offer drink and food to your guests. But, to be fair – we got our customs from space gods. Where do yours come from? (JK)_


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer:

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 17**

Silence filled the room as Loki stared at Frigga, defiance radiating off him in waves. The avengers held their breath, looking at either Loki or Thor. The thunder god was blowing up but before he had the chance to yell at his brother, Frigga laid a hand on his forearm before standing up slowly, gently wiping the tears of her face in the process. Then, to the others great surprise, she smiled at Loki. A gentle, sad smile but a smile no less.

"Captain Rogers, may I ask of you to bring Loki to his cell? I fear he is too well for the bed chamber now and he shouldn't wander off."

Loki's face was dumbstruck and it would've been comical hadn't he had tears in his eyes. "This that your answer?" he asked, struggling against Steve as the captain followed Frigga's wish, guiding the prisoner to the door, arms locked against his body.

"To hide me away." He blinked, a soft smile grazing his features. "Of course." he mumbled, more to himself as he allowed Steve walk him from the others. "That has always been the asgardian way."

When the two had gone, Thor turned to his mother, his facial expression worried but Frigga shook her head to reassure her eldest.

"I am well, Thor. It is not the first time your brother has been unhappy in my presence." she informed her oldest, her motherly voice making it all seem less harsh. Thor didn't look convinced.  
"Mother, he said he.." he began in anger but Frigga interrupted him.

"I heard him just fine, Thor There is no need to repeat those unkind words." she sighed, looking the way Loki and the captain had disappeared.

"And he may hate me now and for a long time to come. But don't fret, my son. It takes a lot of love to hate somebody. Loki has been dragged to Hel and back. Several times. One can't go through that without being changed. I fear I in my effort to help him may have hurt him unintentionally, despite my best intensions."  
Clint blinked. "I thought you had foresight. Couldn't you, I don't know, have foreseen it?"  
The goddess turned to the archer, her eyes grave as she regarded him. Tony whistled lowly. "You done it, man. You pissed her off!"  
Frigga, ignoring Tony (Natasha had already hit him), kept her attention on Clint. He met her eyes calmly.

"The future is not set, archer. Many things changes, and so does what will happen. I know many things, and I've seen many things. But I've also seen things not come to pass." she explained carefully, her voice gentle. "It is unwise to try and change what is yet to come."

Clint bowed his head in apology. Frigga gave the others a stern glance, and they all followed Clint's example, bowing their heads like naughty school children, with the exception of Pepper (because she knew it weren't meant for her) and Tony (because he was used to those stares from Pepper).

"While my youngest son as I once knew him is gone – and may be forever – I will not cease my struggle to bring him healing and peace. You saw it yourself; he's in deep pain and as his mother I am the one to help him through this hel."

Thor listened to his mother, as she explained. He almost smiled at the sight. It so remembered him of how Frigga had told himself, Sif and Fandral off once many years ago, for playing too rough with Loki. She hadn't been mad, but determined that they'd understand how they couldn't play wrestling with a babe. Thor had been horrified, he hadn't even thought harm could come to Loki from his friends hands. Thor felt his expression darken as did his thoughts. He and his friends _had_ hurt Loki.  
They hadn't meant to, but it had happened. All those years of teasing, good natured jokes and ill placed comments had seemed so innocent to the thunder god. But Thor had now come to realize that it had been anything but that to his young brother. Thor felt his heart tighten. He'd done so much damage, without even seeing it, without understanding the pain he'd inflicted upon his once so beloved brothers sensitive nature. Loki's natural way with words and constant reassuring had convinced him that he didn't hurt his brother. Thor had learned too late that Loki was a liar. A good liar.  
Thinking back, as he vaguely listened to Frigga explaining the concept of foresight to his friends, Thor wondered just how much Frigga had done to change a future she'd seen. Nobody ever asked her about her visions as she would refuse to share her knowledge, explaining how knowing the future didn't make it better. Could her never wavering affection for Loki be traced to a vision of a future she feared, and so did everything in her power to alter – even leaving Asgard to bring back her wayward son?  
Thor looked at Frigga as she finished her tale, her face rid of all pain and hurt as the queen suddenly took the place of the mother. "I want to bring Loki home to Asgard." she said, voice demanding. "Bring me your leader, so I can negotiate his release from Midgard."  
Thor shifted in unease, certainty filling his mind as he saw Natasha nod, before stepping away to make a call. He was sure. Frigga was trying to alter the future.  
The thunder god didn't get dizzy, but for a moment he thought he felt the world spin beneath his feet. Thor was so occupied with his own sudden discovery that he didn't notice the look Tony gave him. The genius frowned, but kept his mouth shut.

"Fury will be here tomorrow." said Natasha, returning to the company. Her face was completely neutral, but her calm demeanour fooled no one. "Noon. He's not happy."

Frigga bowed her head. "I give you my thanks for arranging the meeting, Lady Natasha. Don't you worry about your directors mood, I have handle more than my fair share of angry diplomats." she said with a smile.

"We would like to be present at this meeting, seeing as we have been the ones dealing with Loki, well ever since he arrived to Earth.. I mean Midgard. " said Natasha.  
Frigga nodded. "I understand. I wont object to you being present at my meeting with your director."

Loki and Steve walked in silence. Steve kept an watchful eye on his charge, as he was let into the same cell he had been admitted to before he smashed his hand and all of the following events that had followed. "Sit." Steve led him to the bed. The beaten up wall was still in pieces, but at least the blood had been cleared away.

"Jarvis, make sure you tell us straight away if there is any change. He stands, we know, understood?"

"_Certainly, mr Rogers."  
_  
Satisfied with his command, Steve turned his attention to Loki. The trickster god had kept silent since they'd left the living room. His eyes were like mirrors, and he made a point of ignoring the solider.  
Steve cleared his throat. He knew he should leave, but he didn't. Instead he walked to Thor's room, and pulled a chair back into the cell, sitting in front of Loki.

"What do I owe the honour, ice soldier?" Loki's voice was a mocking whisper, as he stared blankly at the wall behind Steve. The captain kept his face as neutral as he could, his eyes searching over Loki's pale features.

"I'm not sure." Steve leaned back, arms folded. "I've seen people being freed from captivity, from torture. You show all the signs of trauma."

"Been talking to that doctor of yours, have you?" asked Loki, eyes drifting to the human in front of him. A sickly smile spilt his face. "I don't need to be told that I am mad, captain. Unlike you humans, who lack any kind of insight, I am superior."

"Superior?" Steve raised an eyebrow. "You think that doing what you do, makes you superior?"  
Loki looked at the soldier with a bored expression. "We've already had this conversation, soldier. You bore me."  
Steve studied him carefully. Loki was aware of his own mental instability, heck it even seemed like he enjoyed it. Could the titan had messed him up so bad, that even with the link or bond or what ever, between the two gone, Loki would still hear the commands? Steve knew he shouldn't take on Loki by himself, even if it was just a bit of talk.

Steve stood up, lifting the chair. Loki followed his movements but made no attempt to communicate.  
"You shouldn't hurt your mother like that. She loves you, even if you doesn't see it. Thor does too. They would have done anything for you. I say would have, because I fear that is no longer the case. You spent so much time wanting to be Odin's favourite that you didn't even notice you were theirs."  
Steve dragged out the chair, closing the door behind him.  
"Watch him, Jarvis."

Loki breathed carefully when the human left him. He was being watched. He kept his eyes locked at the wall, eyes unseeing and bright. He didn't understand just how the mortals machine worked or how it kept an eye on him. But as far as he gathered, it relied mainly on vision and bodily readings. His mind, however – it couldn't read that.  
He kept his breathing slow and deep. He felt his body relax even as his mind went into overdrive.  
He enjoyed this. He could barely keep himself from smiling, but should he fall for the temptation, it could ruin all he'd accomplished that night. Talking with Rogers had been a chance, but how he loved the opportunity. The solider, the man who had seen war. Battle. Sacrifices. The one man on this team that understood completely what the torture could've lead to. Insanity. Madness. Stress. Angst. Fear. All of the emotions he'd spent days playing out. His pupils dilated slightly in amusement. Oh, he was mad. But only slighter worse than before Thanos got his filthy hands on him. Slightly.  
He felt sure Frigga wouldn't want to leave him amongst these mortals and their moral code. It had been an unpleasant surprise that she'd actually allowed them inside his head. But, he made it work. Frigga and Thor was so ashamed of what had happened ever since before he was crowned king. It was easy to fool them. He closed his eyes.  
He would return to Asgard soon. And there Thanos would not be able to reach him. He relaxed.  
_'You spent so much time wanting to be Odin's favourite that you didn't even notice you were theirs.'_  
His face neutral, he frowned inside. Now, why would the soldier say that? The orphans – all of the Avengers seemed to be orphans. Parentless.  
He nearly scoffed. How lucky they were. No brother to constantly come and watch over them, to patronize them. Not smothering mother who lied and lied and _lied_. It was the only thing Asgard had taught him; to lie and lie well. And now he had fought so hard to rid himself of their love, and he was finally getting close. He could feel the fragile heartstrings let go, one by one. Snapping and breaking. He could almost hear them. He smiled, lying down, turning away so he faced the wall. The liberating feeling of loosing their love and its hold on him made him shake with anticipation. He took a deep breath, daring to smile a hidden smile at the prospect of finally being free. Captured, but ever so free. He tasted salt, and the smile only widened as he closed his eyes to sleep.

* * *

"Jarvis, what's he doing?" asked Tony tiredly, facedown in the couch. Steve had returned, and Frigga had bid them all a good night. She disappeared down the hall, leaving Thor with the other Avengers.

"_The prisoner appears to be crying, sir."  
_  
"Is he distressed? Will he try and punch the wall again?" asked Tony, as he sat up in alarm.  
_  
"It appears not, sir. He's lying down, and I think he's attempting to rest."  
_  
"Sounds like a plan." said Clint, stretching and standing up. "I think it's time to hit the hay."

"No chance, we need to talk this through!" Tony snapped, his patience running thin. Clint frowned.

"About what? Seems to me like Furys got this; you know, him being the director of shield and all?"

"I don't trust shield." Tony shot back, sitting down in the couch beside Pepper. Clint and Natasha frowned. "I trust you guys. I think." Tony quickly added. "But not your 'hey, let's nuke New York' board of lunatics!".

No one smiled. "I don't blame you for that one." said Clint, his voice bitter. "They made that call far too easily." then he sighed, throwing himself into the sofa, beer in hand. "But they are representatives of the entire world, politicians from the most powerful countries."

"That's my point, that is exactly my point! They are politicians. For them, these people – everyone in New York – they are just numbers! We can never let ordinary people be a number in a goddamn statistic. What if Pepper had been in New York?" asked Tony heatedly, pointing at his girlfriend as if to erase any doubt on who Pepper was. She carefully laid an hand on his shoulder to keep him calm.  
But Tony was just getting started. "She would've died, Clint. Along countless of others. You know what I would've done if that council had killed her? Because I sure hell don't want to know!"

"Calm down, Stark." Natasha said. "No one in this room approves of what the council did. You don't have to defend your point of view to us."

"But.." said Bruce carefully, sitting down his tea cup. carefully "Isn't the council about peace?"  
Tony snorted. "No. It's about control. World control. And they've been scared shitless ever since our big guy over there appeared on the scene, making it clear that we are not alone in this universe."

Thor appeared bemused for a moment. "You thought yourself alone in the universe? Why, there are hundreds of beautiful worlds all across.."

"Yeah yeah, stop rubbing it in, space viking." said Tony tiredly, rubbing his eyes.  
The others chuckled. Thor smiled, but his foreboding expression quickly returned. He sighed.

"In truth, I fear for Loki no matter which world he is on. Thanos is looking for him, your world wants to punish him and I can only imagine Asgard wishes to, too."

"Is that what worries you, what he will be punished despite it been pretty clear that he was under Thanos' control when he attacked Earth?"  
Thor shook his head. "No." he answered, standing up. He walked over to the window, overlooking the city for a moment. "I know this troubles my mother too, as she is no closer to finding an answer now, despite having looked through all of Loki's memories. The enchantment the mad titan used on Loki is too tricky; it disguises itself as the victims thoughts."

"Wait, I thought your mother had removed the duplicate memories?" asked Clint confused. Thor turned to him. "She did. But they were but a fraction of it all. A simple tool for Thanos to make Loki even more confused and desperate for revenge. All that happened after the Bifrost, we have no way of telling what is true and what is false, except a few memories that are so out of character that we are sure that they weren't committed by Loki himself."  
"So what you are saying is, that you don't think Loki is completely innocent?" asked Pepper.  
Thor nodded, his expression sad. "I am certain. Mother is too, and it horrifies her that he would've done such things from his own free will. But nothing has been the same since he found out what he really is. He tried to kill me, on several occasions and for all I might have done, I have always loved him and I know he loved me once. If trying to kill somebody he used to love is so easy for him, I can only imagine that killings strangers from a race he views as lesser than himself would be far too easy for him."

"That little shit." said Clint heatedly, drinking the last of his beer before slamming the bottle down. "Please promise me he'll get punished."

"He will." Thor assured the archer. "I have given you my word."

"How, exactly?" asked Steve. "How do you think your father will punish him?"

"It depends if this attack will be viewed as an act of war. If it is, my father will judge him with help from the Norns and he will most likely be sentenced to death."

"Wow, really?" asked Clint with an almost perverse amazement. Thor nodded, his expression sorrowful. "Such is the sentence. Declaring war on another world is a grave deed. But that is only what will come to pass if this attack will be viewed as an act of war from Loki himself. The Chitauri clearly wanted this world, but it can be argued that Loki only ended up in the middle of it because of his run-in with Thanos. If it is so, Loki will not be judge by our father but the ruler of justice, Forseti. It will be his job to assign Loki to a suitable punishment. I cannot tell you what such punishment could entitle, as the judgements have been many and vastly different through the years."

"The god of justice." Clint hummed to himself. "I like the sound of that."

"But firstly, my mother will negotiate Loki's release from Midgard. I promised your director Fury that he would be allowed to question Loki about any future attempts on this world and we will uphold that promise before returning back home."

"I smell a court case." Tony supplied, yawning. "and for once it's not me and my genius who is on trial. Good riddance. Let them chit-chat a little with Loki, and then he is out before next weekend!"

"I thought you wanted to know more about space magic?" asked Natasha with a smirk.  
Tony shuddered. "No way, I've learned my lesson – space vikings are not safe for house keeping. It's like having too, very big dogs. One eats everything and the other destroys everything. And Thor, yes offences."  
There was laughter in Thor's eyes as Tony finished his monologue. The genius took a deep breath, but before he could continue Pepper gave him a look.

"By the way Steve, did Loki do or say anything when you escorted him to the cell?" asked Bruce.  
The captain shook his head. "Not much. I talked with him." he answered. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure what Loki had actually said to him.

"He called himself superior. I don't know if he only meant to us, or in general." Steve looked at Bruce. "Could he feel superior to Thanos?"  
Bruce looked intrigued by the question. "Perhaps. Despite Thanos being a powerful titan, it is entirely possible that Loki sees himself above him in some way. He did manage to escape his clutches..."

"With our help." Clint shot in.

"... and he have survived the torture he was submitted to. I have no warm feelings for Loki in any way, but it is impressive that he could survive all that." Bruce looked at Thor.

"Is the jotuns know to posses this kind of strength?"  
Thor looked uncertain. "I don't believe so. They are strong, yes and fierce in battle. They live in harsh conditions, and for many years. But Loki is very different from what they are. His upbringing in Asgard must have altered his abilities and it is entirely possible that he has strengthened himself through the power of his seiðr."

"So, yes?" asked Steve. Bruce and Thor shared a look. "Perhaps. It is also entirely possible he was mere referring to humans."

"Humans who kicked his butt." Tony shot in.  
Steve nodded. "I thought so. Which brings me to what he said next. He is entirely aware of his own mental instability. He called it insight, but he was damn well aware that he's mad as a hatter."  
Thor looked confused at the reference, but the others looked troubled.

"That makes him, per definition, a psychopath." Bruce replied, his expression growing more and more tired. "Which is great. Totally great. Who doesn't like psychopathic gods with a superior complex."

"Fury, for one." Natasha replied, getting up. "He will drop by tomorrow. I'm going to get some rest now, and I suggest you do the same. Now."

* * *

_So sorry about the delay! Life kinda happened. Job, vacation, summer, and what not. Chapters will be few until we hit autumn, I'm just not good at writing when it's light and bright outside. Which it is pretty much 24/7._

_I went kinda AU/OC in this chapter, as I plan on bringing in Forseti (god of justice) as the one to judge Loki instead of Odin. Odin is the god of war/warluck among other things, and in my canon he only judge acts of war. In Loki's case, I thought it more appropriate that he shouldn't be judge by his family._

Only a few chapters left of this story. Just how broken is Loki really? How much is acting, how much is real? Hopefully we'll find out before I end the story!  
I'm planning on writing a sequel (when this story breaks 100 reviews)! .. or when I feel like it.

_A follow/fave gives you a hug, a review gives you a new chapter quicker!_

_If you need some awesome summer reading, I can recommend Minna Sundbergs webcomic Stand still, Stay silent. It isn't complete, but updated weekly. And it's sooo good! Just search for sssscomic or stand still, stay silent._


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer:

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 18**

Loki did not sleep that night. The twisted grin on his face was slowly washed away by his tears.

He had told the mortal soldier the truth. He knew he was mad. He had always been intelligent, far more than any other of his peers. But this, this feeling of not caring; that was knew.

He wondered if it was all due to Thanos treatment of him when he was prisoner, or if it was simply a part of him that he had not known before. Had he always been mad? He remembered the time he had cut of Sif's golden hair, replacing it with the basalt black locks she now sported. It could be argued that he had been mad at that point, targeting Sif with such a cruel joke. Everybody sure had thought it was mad, especially after seeing the murderous look on the young womans face. Even Thor had thought his joke misplaced, and Thor generally approved of most of Loki's tricks. But that time, that time was the first time he crossed the line and hurt another truly. He smiled at the memory. Frigga hadn't been able to return Sif's golden hair, and so the warrior had been forced to keep her black hair. Loki himself had received a horrifying punishment. Odin had banned him from the library, the only place he truly loved. And he had been sorry, at one point. Felt remorse for the loss of Sif's golden hair – it had truly been beautiful. But the black hair, he himself thought that more beautiful. More unique. More like him.

While black hair wasn't exactly an abnormality in Asgard, it was very rare and almost only found on the country side. Not in the capital.  
That time had not only been the first time Loki had truly hurt one he considered if not a friend so at least a close confidant, it had also been the first time he truly understood that nobody wanted to look like him.

Thor had their mothers golden hair, and whilst Odins hair and beard had turned white eons ago, he too had been blond. Lighthaired. Not like the black son.  
It was curious though, how he – without even knowing it – had chosen the black hair all those years ago. He had morphed his appearance of Odins when the Allfather had found him in Jotunheim. The first Æsir he had ever seen. His infant self had instantly morphed into something that resembled the man he saw with his young, red eyes. And yet, he had chosen black hair subconsciously.

Had he already at that time, without realizing it, known that he was completely opposite of Odin. His black hair and Odins white.

These were the thoughts that kept Loki awake all night. When Thanos had been controlling his thoughts in order to torment him, all Loki had seen and felt was pain. But know, he saw it differently. He saw that he was more. He had always been more than the Æsir, than the Jotuns.

In a moment of clarity, he felt more at peace than he had for hundreds of years. But the feeling didn't last long, as he sat up and once again felt the chains around his wrists.

All of these new found realizations wouldn't matter. He was still a prisoner. A captive of both enemies and those who claimed to be his kin.  
He snorted in disgust. He would never consider the Æsir his kin. No, he was superior and those superior should rule the lesser beings. The mad titan had, if anything, taught him that. He smirked, the smile hidden in the dark. He would take Asgard. He would be king.

* * *

The morning came, and with it a thunderstorm brewing in the distance. The air was charged and tension hang in air, setting people on edge. The rain was hammering against the windows.

None of the Avengers had gotten much sleep, but it seemed like Thor hadn't had any sleep at all. Natasha found him in the kitchen, looming over a cup of coffee, staring absent-mindedly into space. "Rough night?" she asked as she sat down beside him. Thor blinked, moving his gaze to her. He yawned, draining down the last of the coffee.

"The night was quiet, but my thoughts many and troubled." he answered, pushing the now empty cup away from him. "Mother needed her rest. Even if Loki has chosen to repay her with ill feelings, the deed she did on him was great and have exhausted her. I feared I might disturb her."

"So you've been sitting here, all night, drinking coffee?"

Thor nodded. "It reminds me of home." he confessed.

"Tell me about Asgard." Natasha got curious, despite herself. "What's it like?"

"Grand. Our walls are made of rich stone and metals. We have small gardens in the cities, and vast plains where farmers work." Thor continued to tell Natasha about Asgard, but she noticed how the stories soon turned from being about Asgard itself and to stories about Thor and Loki and their many adventures.

"... and so we all learned that it had been Loki who had turned Sif's hair black! I thought she would murder him for sure. Make no mistake Natasha, Sif is just and fair, but in that moment I couldn't see herself." Thor laughed at the memory, and Natasha found herself smiling.

"Loki got punished for that trick?" she asked.

Thor nodded, wiping a tear from his eye and gave a last laugh. "Banishment from the library. The library! He was even more furious than Sif." Thor fell silent, and Natasha briefly wondered if all asgardians were as prone to melancholy as the thunder god, when Thor looked up again.

"Truly, now that I recall; it was the first time I saw Loki angry. Really angry. I got mad on Sif's behalf – turning her hair black was a cruel trick. Funny yes, but cruel. Loki never understood that."

"You fear what punishment he will receive once you get home?"

Thor shook his head. "I know it will be just. My personal feelings are irrelevant."

"Perhaps when you are home, and a prince Thor. But here, it's okay not to be okay." Natasha reminded him, standing up and heading for the fridge. "I hope you've left some food for the rest of us."

* * *

"Well, hello Fury. I sure as hell ain't happy to see you on this fine morning." Tony greeted the Shield director as he walked into the room.  
Fury merely crooked an eyebrow at the billionaire. It was not a fine morning. It was raining, hard. Lighting dashed across the sky and the wind was howling. Thor swore

it was not his doing, and the others pretended to believe him.

"You are all here I see. Lady Frigga." Fury bowed his head to the queen, who repayed the gesture.

"Director." she did not smile. "It was my understanding, that your leaders would join you for this meeting."

"Change of plans." Fury explained. "I had a meeting with them last night, and to sum it up short; they won't let you leave with Loki."  
Thor stepped forward, a hand on Mjolnir. "You think it is up to you to decide?" the god challenged, but stopped when Frigga raised her arm. "Let him finish, Thor." she said.

Asgard's queen looked at Fury intently, her expression unreadable. Thor backed down, releasing his hold on his trusted hammer.

Fury cleared his throat. "In short, no it is not up to me to decide. But believe it or not, it is actually their call." Fury said, tracing his gaze over the people in front of him.

"They don't exactly have the bests track record in the business of decision making." Tony remarked dryly. Fury smirked.

"New York was a bad call. There's a reason I ignored their order. But believe it or not, had that missile hit New York, there would have been no legal consequences. It would have been swept under the rug. Millions dead, and no one nowhere would have dared to question their decision."

"Just as nobody will question their decision not to let us take Loki back?" Frigga finished and Fury nodded.

"Precisely. A lot of news stations saw Loki and Thor fight, and they quickly pieced together that you and your baby brother ain't from around here. Everybody, everywhere, are demanding Loki's trial and sentence."

"What do they think they can do to punish him?" asked Bruce cautiously. The rest of them looked at the doctor, who looked worried.

"I mean, Loki's proven to be a tough nut to crack. When not even a evil intergalactic warlord can do anything to wipe that smirk of his face, what hope does humans have?"

"A valid point, doctor Banner." Fury agreed. "My answer; they don't have shit idea what they are going to do. But – and Stark, you know this – they like to have their targets grilling in the chair in front of the world press. Makes it look like they actually do something other than just ordering a nuke to New York City."

"And what then?" asked Natasha. "I've talked with Loki several times, and he – sorry lady Frigga – is crazy. We can handle him, because right now we have two gods, a gamma leaking doctor, a iron armoured suicidal genius.." Tony raised his glass in greeting to her ".. two of the worlds greatest spies and a super human. And let's be real, the real ace on our hand is Hulk. He's beaten Loki into submission more times than even I like to think about. But seeing as most of the official world is stills cared shitless by Bruce, I doubt they'll ask him to help."

"I'm not helping them." the doctor muttered, mostly to himself.

"They can't handle Loki." said Natasha. "And what's worse, I'm not feeling very secure with the idea of the mind stone being in the hands of rouge shield agents right now, who knows what it can do. What if they used it on Loki, like Thanos did? I sure as hell could live without that."

Frigga had remained quiet during most of the mortals talk, but with a light cough she gained their attention.

"I do understand your worries, warrior. I share them, although for different reasons." Frigga said, her voice serious. "I hope to safe Loki from himself. It may never happen, and it most certainly wont be in your lifetime. But I can't do it from here, from your Earth."

"Until recently, you had no idea we existed. But we've always known about you. Younglings in Asgard learn about all the worlds in their upbringing, and I'm sad to say that Midgard has never been held in very high regard. Until the last centuries, as a world you haven't been able to do much else than wage war on each other. In terms, your world is young. It is still learning, but now at an alarming rate. We hadn't noticed until very recently, until Thor came here and learned from you. Your morality is oddly twisted. You struggle to end world hunger and war, and yet you continue on waging war and raise your prices on food. You aren't good, and you aren't evil. You are very human. Loki doesn't understand you, he doesn't understand humanity. For all his intellect, his world is very black and white. It's either good or bad. Loki struggled with good for reasons beyond his control, and thus believed himself to be evil. That is my fault, and that of Asgard. It is a wrong I want to correct, but I cannot do that if Loki is surrounded by a race that constantly remind how he's been wrong this entire time. It only fuel this burning fire that rages within him. Humanity have showed, that one can be both light and dark, the one doesn't exclude the other. As much as I desire to help Loki, I do have other responsibilities. Time may be slower on Asgard, but on many worlds it matches yours and I cannot abandon worlds that needs me, not even for my son."

As Frigga stopped speaking, the others remained silent. Thor stared at his mother with proud eyes.

"Well said, mother." Thor said, turning his eyes to Fury. "You have to let us leave with Loki."

"I was planning to." Fury deadpanned. "No way I'm keeping him here."  
Thor furrowed his brow in confusion. "But, your leaders.."

"Oh, they'll be mad make no mistake there." Fury scoffed. "But unlike them, I can actually call the shots because no one out of shield really know I am. It was the council wish that we kept Loki here, and at the time I agreed. But after what agent Romanoff has been telling me about Loki's.. abilities, I've made the decision that he as off now has no reason to remain on Earth no longer. Even if we, I, want to punish him, I'm truly afraid that nothing we do can do anything to him. It will only be a matter of time before he escapes."

"You can trust Asgard to deal with Loki. He will face trial once we return home." Frigga informed Fury, who nodded in response.

"All though.." Frigga continued. "I am concerned that you plan on betraying your leaders. Is this normal practise on Midgard?" she asked.

Tony chuckled, and received a elbow to the side by Steve who looked gravely serious.

Fury sighed. "Not normally. But that is how I operate. I've done it before, and everybody working below and over me knows that I'll make the call when needed. I cannot let the fate of our planet rest on the shoulders of people who never engages in the real fight."  
Frigga regarded Fury with a thoughtful look. "I believe you." she then said, and Thor released a silent breath of relief. Frigga turned to her son, hands folded in front of her.

"Thor, I will return to Asgard. The preparations for your brothers trial have started, and I need to inform Odin of all that I have learned here on Midgard, both about Loki and Thanos. Forseti needs to be told too. You will remain here for a few days. That should give me some hours to make sure every aspect of this situation will be brought forth at the trial itself. Then you follow me, bringing Loki with you."

Thor nodded, not entirely happy with his mother leaving.

"You'll use the Tesseract to bring me home, and then return here swiftly, do I make myself clear?"

"Of course mother." Thor replied. He would never admit it, maybe not even his new mortal friends, but he appreciated being left on Midgard even for a few days. Frigga would be too busy once returning back to Asgard to notice him in her visions, and thus he would be able to think more about this whole situation. It bothered him what Frigga had seen in the vision that had caused her to break her own rule, and attempt to change the future. It bothered him greatly.

Thor was so caught up in his own thoughts on the matter that he did not notice Frigga's gaze lingering on him, before moving back the Fury and the avengers.

"I thank you for your hospitality these past days, friends of my son. You have shown me great honour."

"The honour has been ours, queen Frigga." Steve replied, and the others nodded.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't look forward to Loki leaving Earth. But it's been a pleasure having an asgardian visiting that do not break my things." Tony shot in, causing Frigga to smile.

She nodded her thanks. She lifted her hands in front of her, closing her eyes. A second later, the Tesseract appeared between her hands.

The humans eyed it warily. It looked the same, cubeish and blue glowing.

"I thought that thing had remained on Asgard." Clint said.

"It will. once Thor return with Loki, it'll be used to heal the Bifrost and then be locked away." Frigga replied. She motioned for Thor to follow her, and they stepped outside the room, onto the helipad.

The avengers remained inside, unsure who the Tesseract would react and not wishing to get swooped to Asgard by accident. Frigga and Thor turned to face the avengers. With a final nod, Frigga moved her hands and the Tesseract started glowing. A light beam and a second later, and the two gods were gone.

"And we are once again babysitting." Tony sighed. "Is it too early for drinking?"

"It's always evening somewhere." Clint replied, earning a frown from Steve and a chuckle from Fury. The shield director looked at Steve. "I trust you will keep the prisoner under control until Thor returns for him, captain." Fury said, gathering his coat around him. "I will not see anything more than drunk driving on my evening news, got that?"

"Yes sir."

"Good." Fury gave them all a nod, Natasha and Clint last. "Take care kids. If the Council contacts you, let it go to voicemail."

* * *

_This is by far the hardest chapter I've ever written. I truly had no idea how to write it. I needed to get Frigga back to Asgard, I needed to deal with the council, I needed the Tesseract to still remain on Earth/Midgard.. and none of it are exactly what you would call exciting events. But vital, yes. _

Sorry about the wait. I promise I haven't forgot you but life+work has been extremely busy this past months. But, with the darkness finally descending upon the northern hemisphere and thus creating my preferred conditions to write in – dark so that I cannot see that there is a world around me, I hope I will be able to finish this story before Christmas. Just remember, no matter how slow I am to update, I will finish this story.

_Please fave &amp; review :) _


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer:

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Chapter 19**

Thor returned a few hours later. He announced that he would return with Loki to Asgard in two days time, thus giving the god of justice and the royal family time enough to prepare for the trial.  
As soon as he returned, Thor – with the Tesseract securely hidden on his personal self – went to his room, Loki's cell. The other Avengers reassurances that nothing had happened whilst the thunder god was away in Asgard did not settle the uneasiness in Thor.  
He entered the room alone. Loki were in the same place as he'd last seen him. On the floor, chains around his wrists, and head slightly bowed in silence. The others had told Thor that Loki hadn't spoken a single word to anybody since Rogers had returned him to his confinement.  
Eyes closed, and his breathing slow but even, it could seem as if he was sleeping only Thor knew his brother well enough to recognize the state of meditation – Loki had often done this in their youth, after many days of study he would sit down and simply organize all his knowledge for the future. He didn't react when Thor stopped only a few meters from him. The thunder god carefully studied his brother but when his presence was all but ignored, he sighed.

"Loki, this silence will not do you any good once we return to Asgard."

When all that met him was the same loud silence, Thor carefully sat down opposite his brother. The action didn't cause any kind of change, but Thor liked to think it made a difference. Loki's would know it wasn't Thor's style to sit on the floor, his body too big for him to feel really comfortable.

"Mother has returned to Asgard, with the news of how you came to be like this. Of both your prison in the Void and of Thanos. Maybe she'll even tell them about the Infinity stones. It will most likely affect the verdict, but I trust Forsetti to judge fairly, as always."

Still not able to cause a reaction from his brother, the thunder god fell silent, echoing his brother. Thor remained silent for a while, listening to his brothers deep calm breaths. It was such a welcome sound, after the weeks of ragged and panicked gasps for air. Loki was still pale and sickly looking, but with Thanos out of his head, Thor was sure he could see a difference. He could see his brother, small pieces of him in there. This calm and collective face was so well known to Thor, it hurt him to think about what Loki had done. No matter how much under Thanos influence his younger brother had been, Loki had still made terribly choices.  
Friend Barton had told Thor of how it felt to be put under the influence of the mind stone. How, even when controlled, one could do small things to fright back against the invasive control. Shoot in the leg instead of heart, take out one engine of a ship instead of all. Thor didn't mean to think ill of Barton, but he knew Loki had a strong and disciplined mind, even if he was mad. Loki would've fought. And yet, they could see no crack in Loki's action to prove that he had in fact fought against Thanos. It was clear how relived Loki was of being free of the titans grasp. But still Thor wondered, and he know Forsetti would wonder too.  
Thor didn't speak, he just regarded his brother as he thought this through. Thor let go of all thoughts (Loki would've pointed out how easy this would be for him to do) and focused on this last, on spoiled moment in his brothers company. It would be many years before they could sit like this again, and Thor would remember it. The chains made no sounds and for a moment it felt just like when they were young and Loki would be up late studying some ancient scroll of Seiðr.  
Loki would normally ignore him completely, carefully turning the old pages whilst unravelling their secrets. Thor had never told his young brother how much he admired his ability to understand languages lost to most in the universe. Thinking of this, Thor felt a pang of guilt. There was so much he had never told Loki. And now it seemed too late. Loki didn't listen to him anymore.

"I know I failed you many times Loki." Thor found himself saying. He hadn't even realized he was talking. "Mother too. We have failed, but we will not fail again. Mother will fight for you, even now she's fighting for you. She's broken her vows to keep you safe. You should know this."

Thor raised himself from the floor, never taking his eyes of Loki. There was no change in how Loki sat or breathed, but still something was different.

"I will return with food later. Rest now."

When the door closed, Loki sat a long time in completely silence. Nothing could be heard, not his breath or even his heartbeat. Then, with a long deep breath, he opened his eyes. They found the now vacant place where Thor had been sitting, as if the words still lingered.  
Frigga had broken her vows? Now why would Thor say that. Neither the oaf of the allmother seemed to waste a moment telling him much they regretted everything, the lies, the hurts and how much they wanted to help him, even if he was beyond their help.  
With an angry snarl he turned his thoughts. He didn't need their help. He didn't want it. Forcing down his anger from thinking such ridiculous thoughts, his mind returned to Thor's last words.  
Vows.. the allmother had taken many vows, but Thor had to refer to one in particular.  
Entering his meditative state once again, Loki focused on that one word. Vow.. Nobody often talked about Frigga and her vows. But the way Thor had said it, it sounded as if Loki should feel greatly honoured by the deed. Which could only mean it was one of her most sacred vows, the unbreakable ones. He could feel his heart rate escalate as the truth began to dance in front of him. Frigga had broken her vows before. It wasn't common but it did happen. She was not bound more than what her conscience begged for her to do. But there was one, one that as far as he knew, had never broken.  
He could feel the excitement rip through his body. His hands were shaking ever so slightly with anticipation.  
Giving up on both meditation and keeping still, he stood, hiding his face in his hands as he laughed silently. Frigga had broken the vow of silence. She had reacted on her Visions.  
That could only mean one thing. He could taste the word on his tongue. The horror, the many promises. He began to pace the room, slowly working his way through everything Thor and Frigga had said to him these past few days. There had to be clues. Thanos was coming. Frigga had broken her most sacred vow. The infinity stones were resurfacing. The tesseract and the mind gem was only the beginning. A calamity of raw, true power would rip through the universe. Frigga had seen it. She hadn't shared her insight with Odin or the allfather would have come to get Loki himself. Which meant Frigga stilled believed she could change it. It all boiled down to one word. He didn't dare speak it, but the very thought send shivers through him.

* * *

"How was baby crazy? Still homicidal?" the question was the first thing that met Thor when he entered the resting quarters of Stark Tower. The other Avengers looked at him with cation as he sat down.

"He's calm for now. I dare believe that Thanos has finally been driven from his mind. He's certainly more like himself now."

"Because he's not trying to kill you?"  
At Thor's solemn nod Tony snorted. "You realize Tony's messing with you Thor, right?" asked Bruce. At the gods confused gaze, he quickly elaborated. " He means that it's crazy that we can actually pinpoint just how damaged Loki is by how many people he tries to kill."  
That only seemed to confuse Thor more. "I don't understand your reasoning. I have killed many hundreds and you do not ask me these questions."

Silence fell.

"Uhm, wow?" said Clint, sitting up straighter. "Care to elaborate?"

"As a prince of Asgard, I was raised a warrior. I've been in many wars and have slain many foes. Once I enjoyed it, but I admit that I've felt my nature change. Words can be better than swords."

"You've been hanging around Loki too much." Steve said, his tone light and Thor smiled.

"True. Loki discovered the power of carefully spoken words many years ago."

"But truly, how is he? Jarvis only telling the boring readings of his bodily functions and they seem be back to normal." asked Tony.

"He appears to be well. I tried to speak with him, but he had sealed himself off from me. I have no doubt he listened to me, but he didn't deign to answer me.."  
Tony interrupted "If he's getting better, then I think it's time for him to leave my tower."

"In two days time, as promised. I wont let anything get in the way of me bringing the tesseract and Loki back to his trial." Thor assured the others.

"And then what? What about the staff?" asked Clint. They hadn't really talked much about the missing glow stick of destiny, and it was just like throwing a wet blanket on the merry gathering of misfits.

"I will return for it. It belongs in Asgard, where we can protect it. No human should be able to use it like Loki has for now. In time maybe, but lucky we have time." Thor reassured.

"The Bifrost will be repaired once we bring the Tesseract back. As soon as it is and Asgard once again will be able to travel between worlds, you'll see me again."

"Peachy. Should we look for it while you are putting your brother behind bars and reassemble your rainbow?" Tony asked, weighing his scotch glass between his hands.

"Where would we even begin to look?" asked Bruce. "Last time we used the connection between the staff and the tesseract. The staff has a much lower gamma radiation than the Cube; I doubt we can do it again."

"There's other leads." Natasha pointed out. "It was stolen from the deepest depths of shield's archives. It was – and I hate to say it – an inside job. There's a rouge agent and he or she has to have left some clue. We'll start at shield and work us through."

"Which brings me to next order of business. Evacuating." said Tony, eying the others.

"Most of us have nothing 'real' to do with shield, but you agents – and you cap – should probably clear out so you can avoid any accusations of handing a war criminal over with clearance."

"Which would leave only you, Thor and Bruce." said Natasha. "Sure you're up to it?"

"Wrong, only Thor and me – and don't forget the most powerful of us: Pepper." Tony looked at Bruce. "I figure there's no reason to give world any more reasons to hate you. But seriously, once reindeer games is out, you NEED to come back. I have so many things for us to work on!"  
Bruce smiled tiredly. "I could head back to Mumbai. I could do with the relaxation."  
When the others snorted, Thor looked at the doctor confused. Bruce shook his head. "An earth joke. It isn't exactly relaxing in Mumbai."

"But you will be fine there, Banner?" asked Thor worriedly. Bruce nodded. "Nothing I can handle. And if it is, I have somebody to handle it for me."

"Hopefully not." said Steve and Bruce sighed. "Hopefully."  
They stayed up long talking, and it was not until there was only a few hours to sunrise that the party broke up. Natasha was the first to slide away. She headed for her room, but halfway there she changed her mind. A few minutes later she found herself in Thor's room, looking at the door.  
She knew there was still something in him, something important that she had to extract, some information crucial for not only her but everybody, human or alien, to know.  
She heard him walking down the hall, but made no attempt to hide herself.

"I almost wish I could come with you to Asgard." she said as Thor walked up besides her.  
The asgardian regarded the mortal with thoughtful eyes. "I believe you would be welcomed as a great warrior, lady Natasha."  
She smiled. "I'm not a warrior." she looked at him. "I'm a spy. A codebreaker. A murderer."  
Thor raised his eyebrows. "You think yourself similar to Loki?"  
First she almost laughed. But the laughter died on her lips. "No. But I see similarities between us."  
she volunteered. Thor nodded in understanding.

"Loki possesses many virtues one should be proud off. As do you. Murder can be used for good. Spying can be necessary, broken codes can save lives on innocent." he placed both hands on her shoulders. "And that is why you are not like Loki, not at all. You may have done bad, but you've turned. You think. It has taken me hundreds of years to understand how valuable a thought is - in the right moment it can change everything." he said seriously.

"I would like to talk with him." she said, changing the subject quickly. Thor stepped back, somewhat surprised.

"What do you hope to learn from it?" he asked, not unfriendly but she noted a hint of hostility. Not toward her, but more likely the fact that the older brother believed his brothers mind had been tampered enough with in the last few weeks.

"Maybe nothing." she admitted openly. Much like Loki, Natasha knew she wouldn't gain much by trying to trick Thor. It was possible he wouldn't find out she'd lied, but the god was sharper than he seemed.

"But I have a feeling that we, all of us – you, I, the others, Frigga – we are missing something that I have a sneaking suspicion Loki knows or at least suspects."  
The honest reply seemed to worry Thor. Natasha did not know this, but it was often when Loki spoke the truth that he confused Thor the most.

"I see. I feel we should inform the others, should I permit you to speak with him. Maybe when we've all rested? I cannot allow you to see him now, the hour is far too late."  
She nodded in acceptance. "In the morning then."

Loki eyed Natasha with a bored expression. She betrayed none of her own thoughts, and yet this rapid transformation from the psychotic meltdowns to complete indifference was.. impressive, in absence of a more suitable word. They had had their starring contest for about ten minutes, with Thor and the others watching the live feed (she had promised Tony not to cause Bruce to Hulk out again. Something about insurance).

"You lost." she opened, hoping taking a pick at his pride would start the talking. Decent conversation would be too much to hope for.  
He merely rose an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Cat got your tongue?" she hadn't really thought it would do anything, but surprisingly he laughed. Black widow could practically feel the others tense up through the walls.

"On my world, lille mortal.." Loki drew out the word, leaning back while staring intensely in her eyes. "a cat biting you would take off your head. You are the one the call Black Widow, no? Surely you are familiar with the concept great power in little things."

"So, you are a cat?" she asked. "You bite off heads?"  
He laughed again. "No.." he said in a bored tone. "But perhaps a serpent.. or a wolf."

"Serpent fits you." Black Widow commented. "Wolfs are way too social for you."  
He regarded her with a cold, weak smile and a chill went down her back. Why was it that it felt like he told her everything. "It would depend on the wolf." he agreed.  
She swallowed. She couldn't know, not for sure. But still..

"I won't be put to death." Loki offered suddenly. Now it was Natasha's time to raise an eyebrow.

"You don't use death penalty?"

"It is a very poor way of punishing a god. We go to two worlds when we die – Valhalla or Hel.  
I would be welcome in both, and that is a treat Odin king would not bestow on me. No, mortal, they will put me away. For that's the only way they can hope to control me and they know it."

"You wouldn't be able to leave Hel or Valhalla either." Widow pointed out, her quick study on norse mythology supplying her. "You would have to answer the the gods of the fallen, Hel or Odin."

"You are forgetting Folkvang, not Freya would never allow me there – we had a slight misunderstanding a few centuries ago." Loki sighed, a bored tone. "You have studied, mortal, but you are forgetting one

thing." he leaned forward, mischief shining in his eyes.

"I am Loki."

* * *

_I have no words. This chapter has been long overdue, but I ran into some serious writers block not to mention work's been crazy. In fact, this whole year's gonna be crazy.  
I'll keep to my promise and finish the story. But when I can, I can't possible tell you. But with one – maaaybe two chapters left, hopefully you wont have to wait too long._

_Tony sure is drinking a lot in this story.. then again, it's been some crazy weeks for all of them. Good thing we all know it'll be all easy from now on, right?_


	20. Epilogue

Disclaimer:

I own nothing, all rights go to Marvel and Disney.

oOo

**Fuel to Fire**

oOo

**Epilouge**

In the end Thor and Loki left the same way they'd come to Earth. Flying space style.

And as predicted, Fury talked himself out of trouble with the world security council. Tony and the rest of the Avengers had said their goodbyes to Thor right before the man had activated the Tesseract and gone off world – back to Asgaard – with Loki. From Central Park no less. Place would be crawling with scientist eager to track'n trace the unmatched power of the Tesseract. Bless.

"Good riddance." Tony mumbled as they turned away from where the two aliens had gone off to.  
Bruce already looked far more relaxed than he'd had, well, since they met and probably a good deal before that. Natasha, on the other hand, looked more troubled. Steve too. Tony sighed.

"Okay, what's with the long faces you two? You look like Christmas was cancelled."  
Natasha shot him a tired look, and Steve blinked slowly before turning his attention away from the 'launch-pad-of-gods'.

"It's not over Tony, just because Loki's gone from our world again." Steve said. "There's still the missing stone. There's the unknown player. And there's Thanos."  
Tony frowned. They had had one big win, and the boy scout was already complaining.

"We're not complaining, Stark." said Natasha before Tony could counter the captains words.

"We're realists. The problems won't go away with Loki. They are a part of this planet now, and it will never be over."

"You guys are pessimists." Tony countered, looking around. They'd started gaining a bit of a crowd, mainly because of this car (of cource).

"Continue this back home?" he suggested, but the shield personal shook their heads.

"You are not a part of this worlds defence shield, Stark. You are you. Only you." Natasha said with a small smile. "Do what you can with that. We'll work the bureaucrats." she looked at her cellphone. "We've already been summoned to DC, to explain why we let Thor and Loki 'escape'."

"Lucky Thor 'accidental' fried all the security cams, huh?" Clint said with a laugh.  
Tony frowned. Despite the mayhem, multiple suicide and/or murder attempts in his home, he'd kinda liked having people staying over. Oh well. He turned to Bruce, extending his arms as if to hug the man. "What about you, are you leaving me too?"

"Tomorrow, if that's okay. My plane leaves around noon."

"Tomorrow night, and you fly on my jet." Tony blinked. "I promised to show you candy land before you went back to do the Lords good work."

"That's really not what.." Bruce shook his head, smiling. "Fine. Tomorrow night."

"Excellent! And you three - " Tony pointed at the shield personal just as Steve climbed onto his motorcycle and Clint and Natasha had started to turn their backs. "I'll keep you posted!"

* * *

The guards had left him in the cell. The trial had been long, boring, and predictable.  
Forsetti was many things. He was wise, just, and thorough. Even when the case was clear.

Loki had been right: execution had never been an option. Each of the ruler of the Dead had either refused to house him with passion (Freya), been extremely indifferent (Hel) or partial to the case (the Alfather).  
Frigga's plea of treatment however, had also been denied. Forsetti had seen the evidence, and had questioned Loki himself. The trickster had bothered with lying, which probably sealed his fate to the dungeons. Showing no kind of remorse or regret, Forsetti had deemed that Loki, although manipulated by Thanos, had done some of the deeds of his own free will. Which was true.

Eternal prison to the prince of Asgard. And so he was locked away, as predicted. He'd seen Thor's stricken face, and the sorrow in Frigga's eyes. He had ignored the Alfather, but had he looked he would've seen regret in his once fathers eyes.

Loki smiled as he lied down. Frigga had already brought him furniture and books. A mothers doting on her wayward son. It had all gone exactly as he'd planed. Now all he had to do was wait.

Ragnarök was coming.

* * *

_One epilogue. Better late than never. _

_I'm on summer vacation right now. I've just spent a week in the middle of a Swedish forest in my parents cabin and got back a few hours ago to the good ol' scandinavian summer weather (rain).  
Tomorrow I'll head north, to Iceland, for a two week trekking trip with a old friend (my oldest friend, I've known her for 23 years! I'm 26 now). We will enter no-wifi land in the mountains, and it will be so good to log completely off everything. _

_As for the story: thank you all for your reviews, faves and follows, even in the months without a update. I promised you a sequel if Fuel to Fire hit 100 reviews. And just a few hours ago it did. As soon as review 100 ticked in, I started writing this epilogue. It was the push I needed, and thank you Guest for giving it to me._

_I won't be starting the sequel any time soon, at least not until we hit late august. It will honestly depend on the weather. Summer usually turns quite nice around that time, and I will want to spend those last bright hours outside before autumn hits. _

_But, I will not abandon the sequel! The very last sentence of this chapter is a not so sublet hint of what to expect.  
Your patience will reward you in the end._

_X KatyHawk _


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